Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Legendary Genesis
by Ahnyo
Summary: A human is reborn as a Pokémon. A Pokémon will be reborn as a god. Factions collide as they race to collect eighteen legendary treasures, threatening to further upset the balance of an already fractured world.
1. The Bug Catcher

In the soft light of morning, the Foreboding Bog hardly lived up to its name.

It was humid, and the smell of rotting vegetation lingered in the air. Gnarled mangroves towered over dark ferns and beds of reeds. Sunlight kissed the water, warding away the swamp gas that created illusions in the dark. Everything was calm and still; the Foreboding Bog was considered inhospitable by most, so few Pokémon dared to set foot in the dungeon.

One such exception was a young Carnivine by the name of Dion. Unlike the majority of Pokémon, Carnivine were adapted to thrive in vile wetlands. As such, Dion felt right at home in the Foreboding Bog. With a bag slung over his shoulder and his signature grin plastered across his face, Dion was oozing with confidence.

He hung by the entrance, appraising the dungeon thoughtfully. "I bet nobody's been to this place in _centuries._ It's gotta be loaded with treasure!" he said to himself. "When I return to the academy with a huge bag of loot, everyone will think twice before making fun of me." Under his breath, he muttered, "Well, maybe not Cleo."

Dion was the newest student at Arcanine's Academy, a school dedicated to the art of treasure hunting. School policy required each student to be paired with one or two partners, forming a "hunting team". This allowed Headmaster Arcanine to create specialized lessons based on each team's individual strengths and weaknesses. Most of these lessons were hands-on, and they tended to involve navigating treacherous dungeons. At Arcanine's Academy, students were expected to encounter all sorts of perils and foes. If the headmaster was to be believed, that was how they learned best. Students were strictly forbidden from taking lessons alone, though. _That_ was too dangerous.

Due to a recent slump in recruits, Dion had yet to be sorted into a hunting team. He bided his time running errands for Headmaster Arcanine, helping Chef Muk in the kitchen, and tidying up the academy with Chamberlain Claydol. Since Dion was clumsy and a tad dimwitted, he had a habit of messing up even the simplest of tasks. This provided the other students with endless entertainment.

Usually, it didn't bother Dion when they laughed. Only one student managed to get under his skin: Cleo, the leader of Team Masquerade. The catty Yamask had delighted in making his life miserable since his first day at the academy, and Dion didn't have the slightest idea why.

A particular incident involving her remained at the forefront of his mind.

"That Dion—he's such a useless oaf! He'll never make it as a treasure hunter. If he came along on one of our expeditions, he'd just slow us all down. Headmaster Arcanine, why don't you just have him expelled?"

The headmaster had laughed. "Lass, that's not your call," he'd told her, his baritone voice raspy with age. "I let Dion enroll for a reason. He has potential, just like you do. Maybe someday you'll see what I mean."

Cleo had proceeded to leave in a huff.

Dion mulled over the headmaster's words while fidgeting with his bag. _Headmaster Arcanine said_ _I have potential. I wonder what he meant by that._ He knew he wouldn't find the answer while idling around the academy, which was why he had decided to take matters into his own hands. _Today's the day I'm going to_ _prove_ _my potential to the academy… and maybe the world!_

Dion entered the Foreboding Bog, using Levitate to float about a foot above the ground. He spotted a rickety old boardwalk and swooped down to investigate. Dion ran his hand along the grooves in the weathered wood, only to recoil in pain. A splinter had embedded itself in one of his leafy fingertips. Dion plucked it out, wincing. "Eee… this thing doesn't seem very safe." He stared at the boardwalk while contemplating turning around. Once he had made up his mind, Dion rose into the air.

He froze.

"Oh, yeah," he said, chuckling. "Never mind!" Dion whistled a cheery tune as he hovered along the boardwalk, keeping his eyes peeled for treasure. The only problem was that he didn't actually know what treasure looked like. He was sure he'd be able to recognize it if he found some, though.

Dion wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. It was the height of morning, and the temperature had peaked as well. The humidity was becoming unbearable, even for a Carnivine. He shrugged it off and pressed on, refusing to bow to the heat.

Dion frowned when he reached the end of the boardwalk. The last few planks had broken off and fallen into the motionless water. "This can't be the end of the dungeon, can it?" He balled his fists. "No! A trick like this might keep _some_ Pokémon away from the treasure, but it's not gonna work on me." Smoothly, he boasted, "I can _Levitate_." He tore into the depths of the Foreboding Bog, weaving between the mangroves and rustling the plants below.

Almost immediately, Dion caught a glimpse of something bright green. "Oh? What could this be?" Dion drooled in anticipation as he approached, savoring the moment. "Maybe it's a giant emerald! Wait, no. The headmaster said emeralds are _dark_ green. It's gotta be… a peridot! Yeah, that sounds right. Either way… I'm gonna be rich!"

Dion brushed aside a curtain of leaves and recoiled at what he found.

The body of a Scyther lay belly-down in a pool of muck. Its torso was hidden beneath the water, but its abdomen was still visible; its size indicated it was female. The Scyther's head was resting on a pile of damp stones, and her face was contorted in a grimace. She had thrown one of her scimitar-shaped arms over the rocks; the other was underwater. Her wings were waterlogged. Her legs were sprawled in a strange position. Nearby, a muddy piece of purple cloth was sticking out of the water.

Dion jolted backwards and slithered up a tree in fright. He shielded his eyes with his broad, leafy hands, but curiosity compelled him to take another peek. "Golly!" he remarked in a whisper. "I wasn't expecting to find anyone out here, especially like this! Oh gosh, is she even alive?" Dion broke a stick off of the tree and prodded at her face. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

When the Scyther's eyes snapped open, Dion nearly tumbled out of the tree. To his surprise, she didn't look the least bit alarmed—in fact, she looked as though she had just woken up from a pleasant dream. She grunted something unintelligible before parting her jaws in a yawn.

Dion beamed in relief. "Oh, good!" he cried as he flung the stick into the water. "You're not dead!"

The Scyther flitted her eyelids a few times before quizzically narrowing her eyes. "What?" Her voice was soft and low-pitched, unlike Dion's.

"Up here!" Dion shouted. When the Scyther lifted her head, he gave her a friendly wave.

She regarded him for almost a full minute, dumbfounded. At last, she stuttered, "Y-you're… a Carnivine…"

Dion got down from the tree. "Yup! As a matter of fact I am." He reached out to her. "Need a hand?"

The Scyther blinked some more. "Yeah, I guess that would be… uh, nice." She jerked her arm and her scythe shot out of the water. In the throes of disorientation, her movements were stiff and erratic.

If Dion had been any closer to the ground, he would have gotten skewered. "Yikes! That was a close one!" he yelped, bunching his vine-like legs. "Heh… guess I didn't think that through. You really could use a hand or two, though. They're a lot less dangerous than scythes!" He let out a playful guffaw, hoping the other Pokémon would join in his laughter.

But the Scyther was silent. She was staring vacantly at her bladed arm, her expression unreadable.

"H-hey, it's okay! I'm fine! You didn't actually hurt me," Dion insisted.

The Scyther swiveled her head around and looked him in the eye. "No. You don't understand," she said with wooden intonation. "This isn't my arm."

Dion's eyes were wide with horror. "Then… _whose_ arm is it?"

The Scyther clambered to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. Seconds later, she toppled onto her back. "I'm dreaming," she mused, lying in the mud. "Yes, that has to be it."

" _Dreaming?_ "

She smiled at Dion, catching him off guard. "Look," she said. "I'm not even going to bother explaining this to you. This is probably never going to happen again, so I don't want to waste any time." The Scyther shook her head, still smiling. "I… I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm actually having a lucid dream!" She cackled as she spread out her arms, carving shallow trenches in the dirt. "I'm a Scyther—a _Pokémon_ _!_ How crazy is that?"

Dion watched, baffled. "You're… not making any sense," he said. He gestured at the pile of stones. "Maybe you hit your head on those rocks over there."

The Scyther was on her knees now, slashing at the reeds. Without looking up from her work, she murmured, "Hmm… nah."

"I think you should come with me to Origin Central. Maybe I'll be able to get you some help."

"I'll gladly come if it means getting out of this swamp. For a dream, this place _reeks_." She got up again, using her scythes for support. She took a big whiff of the air. "Huh, that's weird. I also smell something sweet. What is that? It's kind of nice, actually."

Dion ignored her. "I don't know how to tell you this, but I really don't think this is a dream." Just to be sure, he swept his hand across his face. It felt real to him.

"Don't be silly," the Scyther chided. "There's no way this is real. That would be impossible."

It had become clear to Dion that trying to convince the Scyther otherwise was futile, so he changed the subject. "Before we get going, can you tell me your name? Mine's Dion."

"My name? My name is…" The Scyther wrinkled her nose. "What _is_ my name? I… I don't remember!"

Dion nodded in silent understanding. "Is there anything you _do_ remember?"

"Now that I think about it… no, not really. Like, I know I had friends and family, but I can't remember anything about them." She shut her eyes tight. "This is freaking me out. I kind of want to wake up now."

"But you do remember that you're not supposed to be a Scyther, or at least that's what you believe." Dion rubbed his chin. "What are you supposed to be, then?"

"A human," she replied casually.

"A _human?_ " Dion gasped. "But… humans aren't real, are they? I thought they were make-believe!" Dion had heard plenty of stories about humans: strange, bipedal creatures that trapped Pokémon in special Wonder Orbs and forced them to battle each other.

"Touché." The Scyther heaved a sigh. "None of this makes any sense, but… maybe you're right. Maybe this isn't a dream."

Dion gave another somber nod.

The Scyther let her arms hang at her sides. "I guess this is it, then." All of the joy had been sucked out of her voice. She almost sounded like a different Pokémon altogether.

Dion twiddled his thumbs. "Er… anyway, let's get going. I'll take you straight to Arcanine's Academy. If there's anyone who'll know what to do about this, it's Headmaster Arcanine. I'll show you the way." He sailed forward, peering over his shoulder to make sure the Scyther was following. When he noticed she was struggling to keep up, he slowed down a little. "You know," he said, "I thought Scyther were supposed to be super fast… so fast you can hardly see them!"

"I'm not a Scyther."

"Oh. Right." Dion was quiet for a moment. "That reminds me. Since you can't remember your name, is there anything in particular you'd like to be called?"

"Uh… _Eileen_. That was the first thing that popped into my head. Could it be my real name? No, that can't be right. Whatever. Just call me Eileen."

"All righty! Eileen it is." Dion thought about what he'd name himself if given the choice until he was interrupted by a loud splash. He whipped around. Eileen had fallen into the water and was fighting to stay afloat. Dion had only made it to this part of the Foreboding Bog with the help of Levitate—an ability not possessed by Scyther like Eileen.

"Gah!" Dion cried. "How deep is it? Can you swim?"

"Not like this!" Eileen snarled as her head went under. Seconds later, her snout emerged. She managed to spit out a mouthful of green water before disappearing once more. Dion gnawed on his fingertips as he waited for her to return. The only sign of the Scyther was a steady stream of tiny bubbles rising to the surface.

Dion flew around the watery chasm in a panicked circle. "What do I do? What do I do?" When he realized he was wasting precious time, he forced himself to calm down. "Think, Dion, think!" Thinking was not one of Dion's strong suits, so he scoured his surroundings for inspiration. Surely enough, he found it in a nearby mangrove that had been overtaken by vines. "That's it!" A pair of skinny tendrils extended from the base of his neck. " _Vine Whip!_ "

Carefully, Dion guided his vines into the water. He fished around until one of his vines got caught on a long, slender object. Dion breathed in relief and reeled it in, only to find it was the stick he had discarded earlier. "What? No way!" He tossed it aside, dipped his vines back into the water, and tried again.

This time, Dion grabbed onto something much heavier. It _had_ to be Eileen! He tightened his vines around her upper arms and tugged with all his might, but he wasn't strong enough to lift her above the surface. Eileen gasped for breath as her head burst out of the water.

Dion looked her over. "Are you okay?"

"No," Eileen croaked between coughs, retching. "Ugh. It tastes like something _died_ in there."

"Well, be glad it wasn't you!" Dion couldn't help but feel a bit peeved that Eileen hadn't bothered to thank him. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

For several minutes, Eileen paddled in place while Dion held her up. Once Eileen had caught her breath, she demanded, "Now what?"

Dion gulped. There was something intimidating about her appearance, from her penetrative stare to her scythes that could slice a Pokémon into ribbons in the blink of an eye. It didn't help that Dion was weak to both of her types. He knew Eileen had no reason to hurt him—and even if she did, she probably wouldn't know how—but she made him nervous nonetheless.

"Er… there's a boardwalk somewhere around here. Now, where was it?" Dion hauled Eileen along behind him as he searched, and she was too exhausted to care that he was guiding her into all sorts of hidden boulders and logs. Her eyes were glazed with weariness, which made her look just a tiny bit less menacing.

"Ah-ha! There it is!" In his excitement, Dion dragged Eileen into one of the planks that had broken off of the boardwalk. The plank coasted into the shadows and disappeared.

With newly found energy, Eileen glared at him.

Dion averted his eyes. "Heh, whoops. S-sorry about that."

Eileen turned away. She studied the boardwalk for a long time, idling in contemplation.

"Think you can do it?" Dion snapped. His patience was wearing thin.

Eileen stirred, shaken from her trance. "I'll… I'll try," she said in a small voice. She dug her scythes into the boardwalk, leaving deep incisions in the wood. Shifting her weight onto her upper body, she struggled to push herself onto the platform. Dion strained himself as he tried to help pull her out. Despite their combined efforts, Eileen remained in the water.

" _Phew_." Dion lowered his head in despair, his gaze landing on Eileen's wings. His head shot back up. "Hey, wait a minute!" he hollered, nearly letting go of her.

"What?"

"Eileen!" He slapped his tangled knees, wheezing with laughter. "What are we even doing? You have wings! You can fly!"

"I have wings?" she repeated. "I can… fly?"

"Of course! I can't believe it took so long for one of us to notice. What are you waiting for? Get up here!"

Eileen frowned. "I don't know how to fly."

"It just sort of… happens, I guess. That's the way it is with Levitate, anyway. It's probably a lot different when you're using wings." Dion loosened his grip. "I guess you'll just have to give it a whirl and see how it goes."

Eileen drew a wary breath. "All right, then." Her four wings vibrated in unison, spreading a shower of mist into the air. Spooked, she made her wings still. "That's so weird… it's not what I was expecting at all."

"Keep at it!" Dion cheered. "Don't give up!"

Eileen gnashed her teeth. Her wings buzzed and she tore her blades out of the wood as she started gaining height. Eileen angled her body over the boardwalk and drifted forward a few feet; then, she let herself fall. She hit the wood with a _thud_. "Ow," she hissed as she stood up. "I'm so heavy."

"Tell me about it!"

Eileen flashed Dion a look that made him fear for his life.

Sweating, he said, "Haha, well… at least you're out of harm's way!"

"Am I?" Eileen said through clenched teeth. She picked up one of her feet and showed it to Dion. There was a large chunk of wood wedged in her sole.

"Yikes! I should have warned you about the splinters."

Eileen reached for her foot, glowering. When she remembered she didn't have hands, she brought her scythes together and attempted to use them as tweezers. She lost her balance and fell onto her side, where she proceeded to writhe in frustration.

"Wow," remarked Dion. "I never thought I'd meet a Pokémon as clumsy as me."

Eileen stopped moving and looked up at Dion.

"You know," he continued in a wistful tone, "I think the two of us would make a great team. We wouldn't slow each other down, that's for sure. Maybe we could even learn how to be less clumsy together."

Eileen slammed the back of her head against the boardwalk, suppressing a scream.

"Oh!" cried Dion, shaken from his daydreams. "I should probably help you with that, shouldn't I?" He glided over to her, grabbed her leg, and pinched the splinter with his leafy fingers. Eileen grimaced as he yanked it out and flicked it into the water. Then, Dion used Vine Whip to help her to her feet. Eileen didn't thank him for any of it, but Dion had stopped letting that bother him.

He had certainly found something deep within the Foreboding Bog—something that might have been even more interesting than treasure. Dion couldn't wait to report back to the academy and share his discovery with Headmaster Arcanine.


	2. Headmaster Disaster

As a human, Eileen had perused many articles pertaining to lucid dreaming. Though there were more than a few ways to invoke lucidity, the guides all seemed to agree that the first thing one should do if they suspect they are dreaming is take a good look at their hands. There is perhaps nothing quite as recognizable as the sight of one's own ten fingers—so if anything's even the slightest bit off about them, one is apt to pick up on it right away. After all, when someone is very familiar with something, it is said that they know it "like the back of their hand".

There is a flaw in this method, however. It relies on the assumption that hands are immutable objects and change can _only_ come to them in dreams. What if a person woke up and found that their hands had been _cut off?_ Should they be expected to shrug it off and go back to sleep? Such an argument bordered on pedantry, but it was in Eileen's nature to entertain such thoughts. Given the implausibility of her situation, it was remarkable that she had retained the capacity to call upon any logic at all.

Eileen didn't have _hands_ , per se, but _something_ had taken their place: terrible, wicked blades that posed a significant threat to anyone in her immediate surroundings. She no longer possessed the ability to pick up or hold onto things, and the latter seemingly applied to her sanity as well. She was a _Scyther_ —a creature she was pretty sure did not actually exist. Granted, Eileen couldn't remember much about anything. For all she knew, humans were fake and Pokémon had been real all along.

Eileen still found herself glancing at her blade-like forearms every now and again—but ironically, she was trying to convince herself that what she was experiencing _was_ _n't_ a dream. As time went on, she was became less and less convinced that she was dreaming. She had more faith in Dion's explanation than her own, seeing as it was hard for Eileen to trust herself when she didn't even know who she was. There was one thing she knew Dion was wrong about, though: she had definitely been a human.

Eileen could remember some things about her past life, so she couldn't have just hit her head. She knew she had a name, and she knew she had friends and a family. Why couldn't she remember anything about them, then? It was like her brain had been scrubbed with a cheap pencil eraser; the kind that left ugly gray smudges all over the page.

"We're getting pretty close to the exit," Dion said, scattering Eileen's thoughts.

"Right." She walked unsteadily on her toes, keeping her eyes peeled for splinters and rusty nails. Her eyesight was markedly sharper. As a human, Eileen had been nearsighted and she had a hard time seeing anything more than a foot away from her. Now, all the shapes in her environment were pronounced, and she was keen to minute details she never would have noticed as a human. To her astonishment, she could make out every individual leaf on the distant mangrove trees. Through the eyes of a Scyther, the world was breathtakingly beautiful—but it was hard for Eileen to fully appreciate the world when she felt like she didn't belong in it.

It was as though her soul had been ripped out of her body and carelessly stuffed into another container. Eileen had spent somewhere in the vicinity of two decades in the shape of a human, walking with human legs and breathing with human lungs. Being a Scyther felt utterly wrong. The sight of her strange, insect body elicited a kind of visceral horror that made Eileen's mind lurch and dissociate. Dion's chipper voice and his distinct candy-like odor were the only things anchoring her to reality.

"You must be super tired. You'll be able to get some rest as soon as we get to the academy, I promise."

"Mm-hm." It was true: Eileen had only just woken up, but already she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. She wasn't accustomed to this much excitement, or at least excitement that stemmed from something so thoroughly bizarre.

Although she'd failed to communicate it, Eileen was grateful for the Carnivine. She didn't want to think of what would've become of her if he hadn't shown up: she'd probably be even more scared and confused than she was now, which was saying something. Of course, the only reason she'd survived long enough to be able to experience those emotions was because Dion had saved her life.

She didn't know how to thank him. In fact, Eileen didn't know how to get herself to say much of anything at all. As soon as she realized she wasn't dreaming, a barricade had formed in her throat—the same kind of barrier that was cutting off the bulk of her memories. She was forced to communicate through gestures, grunts, and simple responses; only occasionally did a sentence manage to slip out, and only in times when it was imperative for her to speak. Otherwise, she was practically mute. Had she always been this way, or was it just because she was in shock? That was another thing Eileen couldn't remember.

The boardwalk let off in a sparsely forested area. Eileen squinted as her eyes adjusted to the daylight outside of the dungeon. Immediately, she was taken by the scent of fresh air. She let it flood her lungs, driving out the nasty swamp vapors that had collected in her chest.

Dion motioned at a dirt trail that curved around the trees. "If we follow that path, we'll be at Origin Central in no time. Arcanine's Academy isn't far from there."

"Got it," said Eileen.

Dion hovered close to her as they traveled down the path. "I was getting way ahead of myself when I said we'd make a good team. You'd probably like me to explain what the heck I was talking about."

Eileen shrugged. Learning about Origin Central and Arcanine's Academy was the least of her concerns at the moment, but Dion was enthusiastic about the subject and she enjoyed listening to him talk.

Dion cocked his head to the side. "Hmm." He didn't seem pleased with her response. "Well, I'll tell you anyway. Ha, where do I even begin?" He cleared his throat. "You see, I'm a student at Arcanine's Academy. Well, okay. I'm not _technically_ a student yet, and _technically_ I wasn't supposed to be out in that dungeon… but I'll get to that later. Arcanine's Academy is where Pokémon go to learn how to hunt for treasure! There's no better teacher than Headmaster Arcanine. He's the greatest treasure hunter who ever lived!"

Eileen nodded along as Dion told her about the academy and all the treasure he swore he would find one day. He then dolefully explained what was standing in the way of his dreams.

"But that's where you come in, Eileen!" Dion said, sounding upbeat. "If you enroll, I'll finally be able to start learning how to hunt for treasure! So, whaddya say? Do you want to form a hunting team with me?"

Eileen stared him down. _I know he's excited, but… this is all so sudden! Can't I have some time_ _to_ _figure out what's going on before I get dragged into something like this?_ Eileen knew she wouldn't be able to handle all the duties Dion had relayed to her in a disturbingly cheerful manner. She told him, "I'll… I'll have to think about it."

Dion crossed his arms in a huff. "But _Eileeeeeen_ ," he whined, "don't you see what this could mean? Like I said, we don't just hunt for treasure. In addition to stopping bad guys and rescuing Pokémon from danger, we also try to solve mysteries… mysteries like the one surrounding your past! I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it, but _only_ if you join the academy."

Eileen bit her tongue, noticing that the air smelled even more strongly of sugar. As much as she didn't want to get involved, Dion's offer was tantalizing. Eileen suspected he was bluffing, but then again, it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. Enrolling at Arcanine's Academy came with the promise of food and board—things she doubted she'd be able to find if she went off on her own. Eileen exhaled deeply, her breath dragging out a reluctant response: " _Fine_."

Dion's eyes lit up. "R-really? You promise?"

Eileen gave a hesitant nod.

Dion danced around Eileen, showering her with applause. "Yay, yay, yay, yay!" he sang. "Oh man, this is gonna be awesome! We've gotta get to the academy as fast as possible. If we hurry, we might have enough time to get started on our first lesson right away!" He barreled ahead, twirling in an aerial ballet.

Eileen trudged behind him at her regular pace. _Didn't you_ _say_ _I'd be able to get some rest?_

Dion came to an abrupt halt. "Oh, yeah." He faced Eileen, and she noticed that his plant-like body was starting to wilt. "When Headmaster Arcanine finds out about this, I'm bound to get in trouble… gosh, I wasn't thinking. He'll give me extra chores, or..." Eileen watched as his dismay escalated into alarm. "W-what if he won't let me become a hunter? The headmaster's a nice Pokémon, but he's a stickler for the rules. Oh, this is bad. Bad, bad, bad."

Eileen scratched at the dirt path while she thought about how to console him. "You don't know for sure."

Dion looked up and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I guess there's only one way to find out." As he drifted forward, he said, "Maybe I can stretch the truth a little. What if I told him I bumped into you in Origin Central? Headmaster Arcanine has me run errands for him in town all the time." His hope faded. "That wouldn't explain why we stink like a couple of Garbodor, though. Hmm… hopefully I'll be able to come up with a good excuse before we get there."

To Eileen, the so-called Origin Central looked like a fairytale village. A yellow banner decorated with blotchy white stars hung from a pair of trees at the entrance, where the dirt path they had been following joined with a wide cobblestone road. The street was flanked with tents and market stalls, and beyond that was a neighborhood of little houses made from plaster and timber frames. Far off in the distance, Eileen could just barely make out the shape of a castle. The place was bustling with activity: Pokémon of all shapes and sizes were browsing the heaps of merchandise and noisily bartering with the shopkeepers.

" _Origin Central_ ," Dion recited, deadpan, " _where all adventures begin._ " He shook his head. "Hehe, not this one. I think it'd be best if we avoided the town. The shopping district's flocked around this time of day, and we wouldn't want to run the risk of attracting unwanted attention."

Eileen smiled in idle whimsy, charmed by the quaint atmosphere of the village. She wanted to stroll past the banner and see what was for sale, even though that would likely land her and Dion in deep trouble. Window shopping—that was something she had enjoyed as a human. She also recalled that she drew every now and again, had a strong interest in biology, and loved nothing more than to sit down and write stories for long periods of time. All of her hobbies were crystal clear, but knowing what she did in her free time was useless to Eileen. Why couldn't she remember anything important?

Dion unfurled a vine and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey. You coming?"

Startled, Eileen ducked her head in apology. "Y-yeah."

The two of them walked in silence, mutually navigating their own seas of troubled thoughts. Dion tensed up when they stumbled upon a suspicious-looking shed. Although it was partially obscured by a jungle of overgrown weeds, it was impossible to miss.

The first thing that caught Eileen's attention was the shed's paint job. It had been slathered in a shade of blue so bright that it made her eyes hurt. The shed was poorly built, having been assembled from rotting planks of various lengths and widths. It looked as though even a gentle gust of wind would cause the entire thing to collapse. There weren't any windows, but light seeped in through big gaps in the wood—gaps that would also allow someone inside to watch the Pokémons' every move. The gaudy blue color looked out of place on the dilapidated shed, but the odd contrast served to make it even more unsettling.

"Not good." Dion clambered up a nearby tree and hid among its branches. "Eileen, we've gotta get away from here."

His fear was contagious. Eileen could feel her heart thudding in her chest. Not bothering to question why Dion was hiding when he said they needed to run, she headed over to a different tree and stood behind it. The trunk's slender girth left her broad shoulders and wings exposed. Noticing this, she asked, "Why?" in distress.

"That," Dion whispered, "is _Manectric's Academy_."

 _That tiny shack is… an academy? How? It hardly looks like it'd be able to fit one_ _Pokémon_ _, let alone an entire class!_ Eileen knit her brows, her fear caving beneath her doubt.

"I'll tell you more about it when we're a good distance away. Run, Eileen!"

In a display of clumsy footwork, Eileen sprinted through the overgrowth. Spindly plants ensnared her legs and burrs dug into her carapace, but she tried her hardest not to let them slow her down. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Dion was effortlessly gliding above the weeds. Fueled by envy, Eileen quickened her pace. She wished she was confident enough to use her wings—if danger was as imminent as Dion let on, now would be a poor time to practice.

Once the shed had vanished from sight, Dion plopped onto a tree stump to catch his breath. Eileen remained standing, not wanting to go through the trouble of hauling herself onto her feet yet again.

"Okay," said Dion, still whispering, "We should be safe now."

Eileen fixed her gaze on him, eager to find out what exactly they had been running from.

Dion raised his voice a few decibels. "Arcanine's Academy isn't the only treasure hunting school in this part of the land, and there's a reason for that. Years ago, a wild Pokémon called Electrike tried to join Arcanine's Academy. Normally, Headmaster Arcanine welcomes new students with open arms… but there was something off about Electrike. Just by looking at her, Headmaster Arcanine could tell she was rotten to the core. He turned her down, and Electrike was so offended that she and her nasty friends made an academy of their own! Underneath that shed is a huge network of abandoned Onix tunnels. The academy's sorta like a big, scary dungeon."

Dion's voice grew louder and louder as he went on. "Electrike evolved not long after that. These days, she goes by _Headmistress Manectric_. Manectric's Academy… it's bad news all around. Since Manectric wasn't taught by Headmaster Arcanine, she doesn't know anything about treasure hunting! Manectric's a huge phony. She makes up all of her lessons on a whim, and her students never learn _anything_.

"Oh, and those students? The only Pokémon desperate enough to join Manectric's Academy are delinquents and criminals. That school's nothing but a thieves' guild! I bet they don't even go hunting for treasure in dungeons… they swipe it right out from under honest Pokémons' noses!"

By then, Dion was practically yelling. He unclenched his fists and took a quick look around. Returning to a whisper, he said, "That's what Headmaster Arcanine told me, anyway. To tell the truth, I've never met Manectric or any of her students. Heck, this is the first time I've seen her academy with my own eyes—but that's because going anywhere near it is against the rules." Dion shifted guiltily. "Golly, I'm turning into a real troublemaker. Maybe I belong at Manectric's Academy."

They continued on their way, heading toward the castle Eileen had spotted from Origin Central. Dion performed a sweeping gesture. "There it is: Arcanine's Academy!"

Now that she could see it up close, Eileen marveled at the architecture. The castle was roughly cube-shaped, with a smaller cube positioned at the front. On the larger structure, a pointy spire extended from each of the four corners. The spires were topped with long red pennants that flapped in the breeze. At the entrance, a wooden drawbridge was suspended over a nonexistent moat. Dion cowered at the sight of it.

"Headmaster Arcanine normally keeps the drawbridge up so thieves don't come waltzing in. If it's down, that must mean the headmaster knows I've gone missing and he's about to send out a rescue team!"

Eileen blinked, wondering how Dion was able to reach such wild conclusions. She kept moving, wordlessly beckoning Dion to follow.

To their surprise, the academy was deserted. Eileen and Dion traipsed across a narrow burgundy carpet as they surveyed the building. The stone infrastructure kept the interior of the castle much cooler than the outside air, almost to the point that it was chilly. Wall-mounted torches cast light on maps, yellow with age, that were draped over the walls. At the end of the carpet was a flight of stairs leading to a long hallway. Two more hallways had been carved into the wall on either side of the staircase. Eileen's heart skipped a beat when a massive Pokémon appeared at the top of the stairs.

His left eye had been gouged out, and across his nose was a long, pink gash. Tufts of fur had been torn from his muzzle, leaving scaly bald patches along the sides of his face. All that remained of his ears were tattered shreds. His jaw was twisted, and a single yellow tooth poked out from his lips. He was wearing a soiled olive green scarf adorned with a golden badge. Though age had tarnished the Pokémon's appearance, muscles still rippled beneath his faded pelt.

Eileen cast Dion a guarded look, unsure of what to think.

Dion was unfazed. "Oh. Headmaster Arcanine," he said. "I was hoping to run into you… but at the same time, I kind of wasn't."

Eileen's jaw dropped. _Tha_ _t_ was thePokémon in charge of the school? He was _ancient!_

Dion's words didn't reach the old headmaster. Foam oozed from his mouth as he stared down at the Pokémon below. He curled back his lip at the sight of Eileen, revealing mostly bare gums. "You!" he boomed. His voice resounded off of the academy's stone walls, causing Eileen's entire body to quake. "I thought I vanquished you long ago! Have ya come back for more? This time, I won't let you take anything from me… but _I_ might just take your life!"

Eileen looked to Dion again, this time in horror.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Aw man, not this again…"

Eileen stomped her feet in bewilderment. _Would it kill some_ _body_ _to explain what_ _'s_ _going on?_

Headmaster Arcanine bunched his muscles and leaped from the top of the stairs, gracefully landing several yards away from Eileen. He began to stalk toward her, moving slowly as if he were anticipating her to attack first.

Dion threw himself between them, his arms outstretched. "Snap out of it, Headmaster!"

"Out of the way!" Arcanine ordered. "I've got to settle a score with this ol' scoundrel, and I wouldn't want to see ya get hurt."

When Dion didn't move, Headmaster Arcanine narrowed his good eye and harrumphed. Then, he let out a deafening Roar. The force sent Dion flying into a wall, where he crumpled to the ground.

Eileen whimpered as she looked from Dion to Headmaster Arcanine. Smoke billowed from the his paws as he approached her, charring the carpet beneath him. The smoke spread until his entire body was wreathed in flames. Time seemed to lag as Eileen struggled to process what was unfolding in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and pointed a trembling scythe at the headmaster, bracing herself for the impact.

"Don't just stand there," Dion said weakly. "Move, Eileen! Get out of the way!"

But Eileen was paralyzed.

Headmaster Arcanine pounced, sparks shooting from his jaws. Eileen could feel his heat enveloping her, singeing the exoskeleton that still didn't feel like it was hers.

Suddenly, something coiled around her. Just as Arcanine was about to barrel into her, Eileen was pulled off her feet. When she hit the floor, her eyes snapped open. Her body was wrapped in a bundle of green tendrils.

Dion had saved her life again.

"Yes!" Dion pumped his fist as he released her. He had already gotten up and dusted himself off. He had taken little damage from the headmaster's attack; it was clear that Headmaster Arcanine hadn't been intending to hurt him. Of course, the same could not be said about Eileen.

Headmaster Arcanine slammed onto the ground and skidded across the cold stone, causing his flames to die out. He grumbled and began to lift himself up.

"Now's your chance! Run while he's still down!" Dion instructed. "I'll see what I can do about stopping him. You don't have to worry about me. Even when he's like this, Headmaster Arcanine would never hurt one of his students."

Eileen was skeptical, but it didn't matter. She had to focus on her own survival. As she rolled onto her side, a throbbing sensation shot up her back. It took Eileen all of her strength to get up. She staggered over to the staircase and crouched down beside it. _What kind of lousy_ _Pokémon_ _am I?_ Eileen thought crossly. _I didn't get hit, but I'm doubling over in pain anyway!_

Back on his feet, Headmaster Arcanine sniffed the air. "With a stench that offensive, there's no hiding from my Odor Sleuth!" Despite his boasting, the headmaster appeared confused. The swampy smell was coming from multiple directions, and it was masked by a completely different scent. "Ectoplasm," he murmured. "There's a ghost around here somewhere… is it you? Maybe I really did vanquish you all those years ago!" He let out a boisterous laugh. "I'll gladly send you to the grave a second time if that's what it takes!"

"You're losing it!" Eileen was alarmed to see Dion sneaking up behind Arcanine, preparing to launch an attack of his own. "Get a grip, Headmaster! 'Cause if you won't… I will!" The tendrils burst from the base of Dion's neck, lengthening until he was able to ensnare the headmaster's forelegs.

Headmaster Arcanine lifted one paw, and then the other. He sneered. "Think you can slow me down? Ha! Just _try_ to keep up with my Extreme Speed!" He broke into a dash, bucking violently as he sprinted around the foyer. Dion screamed as he was pulled through the air behind him. The headmaster was reaching speeds that should have been impossible for someone his age—or any Pokémon at all, for that matter.

Dion wailed, "Heeeaaadmasteeer, stooooooooop!"

"Aaand cut!" Eileen whipped around at the sound of a nasally female voice, but she couldn't figure out where it was coming from. "It was fun until the dope started screaming. There's only so much of that I can take. Time for Team Masquerade to steal the show!"

Two Bug-type Pokémon—a Karrablast and a Shelmet—tottered down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, a Yamask materialized between them.

Eileen glared at the trio in disbelief. How long had they been watching without doing anything to help?

The Yamask snapped her fingers. "Sheldon, trip him up with a Sludge Bomb! That'll make him break a leg for sure!"

"Yes, milady," the Shelmet said, sounding bored. His cheeks bulged as he tilted back his head. A glob of purple sludge shot out from his puckered lips and splattered on the floor. Arcanine bounded into the goo, only to lose his footing and crash face-first into the wall. Dion vaulted over his head, colliding with the wall as well. Once he had recovered, he let go of the headmaster and meekly slunk over to Eileen.

"Now it's my time to shine!" the Yamask said as she sank into the wall. She reappeared in front of Arcanine, her crimson gaze burning with an eerie glow. As she locked eyes with the headmaster, his face was enveloped by horror.

Cleo winked at her teammates. "My performance was _Astonish_ ing, if I do say so myself."

The two Bug-type Pokémon snickered.

"Ah, Cleo!" Headmaster Arcanine jumped back, taking care not to slip again. "What in the world is going on?"

"Oh, nothing much. You nearly obliterated Dion and… a Scyther?" She squinted at Eileen. "Who _is_ that, anyway?"

"A Scyther?" the headmaster repeated, raising his hackles. "Where? _Where?_ "

Cleo clouted him on the nose with her mask. "No! Bad Headmaster."

"Oof." Headmaster Arcanine tossed his head, giving his ragged mane a shake. He grunted, "My apologies."

"Don't apologize to me. The Scyther's over there." Cleo cast a finger at the stairs, flashing Eileen an impish grin.

Dion let out a pitiful noise resembling a growl as Headmaster Arcanine sauntered over to her.

To Eileen's relief, he maintained his composure. "Why, hello there!" he greeted.

Still uncomfortable, Eileen swallowed and ducked away.

The headmaster inched closer. "Again, I am deeply sorry for any trouble I might have caused." His amiable disposition faded as he approached Dion. Coldly, he demanded, "Who is this Scyther and why is she here?"

"Headmaster, I..." Dion weaved his fingers together as he wracked his brain for an excuse. He saw Cleo use Astonish out of the corner of his eye. There was nothing he could do to stop her. Filled with dread, Dion buckled. His whole body drooped. "I… I found her knocked out in the Foreboding Bog. She says she's lost her memory, and… she needs your help, Headmaster!"

Before Headmaster Arcanine had a chance to respond, Cleo feigned a gasp. "The _Foreboding Bog?_ Dion, what in the world were you doing out there? Everybody knows that's where the meat-eaters live!"

"Meat-eaters? I didn't see any meat-eaters!" Dion retorted.

"Oh, really? How can you be so sure your new friend isn't one of them? I bet she lied about having amnesia so you'd take her to the academy. Don't you see what you've done, Dion? You've put us all in danger!"

In sudden alarm, Dion asked, "Eileen, you're not a meat-eater… are you?"

Even though Eileen remembered eating meat as a human, she shook her head in an effort to avoid conflict. In a society made up of intelligent Pokémon, being a carnivore was clearly taboo.

"Come on, Dion. How stupid do you have to be to think she'd admit to something like that?" Cleo pointed at her eyes, and then at Eileen. "I'm onto you, cannibal."

"Enough!" shouted Headmaster Arcanine. "Throwing around baseless accusations won't do us any good. This matter requires further investigation." His speech was unusually eloquent. "Dion, I'd like to speak with you and the Scyther in private. Report to my quarters as soon as you are ready."

Dion dipped his head. "Okay, Headmaster," he said as the old Arcanine plodded up the stairs.

Cleo crossed her arms. "Before you go, don't you think you're forgetting something?"

"No?"

Sheldon and the Karrablast stepped closer to Cleo as she said, "Team Masquerade saved your lives. I think you owe us some gratitude."

"But you didn't even do anything until the last minute!" Dion whined.

"Does it really matter? Let me repeat myself: we _saved your lives_."

Dion couldn't think of anything else to say in protest. He sighed, sinking even closer to the floor. "Thanks, Team Masquerade."

"There you go!" Cleo was beaming with pride. "You know, if you'd just used your brain for once, you wouldn't have even needed our help. Don't you know Sleep Powder?"

Dion gasped. "That's right! I _do_ know Sleep Powder! How could I forget? It's a special move my Pa passed down to me!"

"Dion, Dion, Dion." Cleo waggled her finger at him. "You'll never make it as a hunter if you don't think outside the box. Just because a strategy worked once doesn't mean it'll work every single time." She paused. "You should thank me for that advice, too."

Dion scowled. "I think we should get going now. I wouldn't want to make Headmaster Arcanine wait." With that, he went up the stairs. Eileen trudged along behind him.

"Whatever. The three of us need to head out as well. We were assigned a mission in Nightshade Tower. That's a Rank C dungeon, in case you didn't know. It's such a pity you can't come along." Cleo beckoned her teammates toward the open drawbridge. "Sheldon! Stella! It's showtime!" Together, they departed.

Dion led Eileen around a corner and down a long hallway, which was lined with sturdy wooden doors. After turning another corner, they arrived in front of a door that was much larger than any of the others. It was already open, so the two of them slipped inside.

The headmaster's quarters were cramped and cluttered. Stacks of crates towered to the ceiling, making the room appear a lot smaller than it actually was. Spread amongst the crates were burlap sacks overflowing with gold coins. Headmaster Arcanine lay in the center of the room, snoring.

"Aw, rats. I knew we shouldn't have waited so long." Dion approached the headmaster and tugged on the end of his scarf.

"Huh?" He woke with a start, slinging a glob of drool. "Is it suppertime already?"

"If only," said Dion. "Don't you remember, Headmaster? You said you wanted to talk to us."

Headmaster Arcanine stared at him vacantly for a few seconds before bobbing his head. "Ah, yes." He cleared his throat. "So," he began, "you found this Scyther in the Foreboding Bog, and she claims to have lost her memory?"

"That's right, Headmaster. Her name is Eileen, by the way."

To Dion's surprise, the headmaster let out a bellowing laugh. "Well, it seems I've found a kindred spirit! Eileen, my memory's not so great, either. As a matter of fact, that's why I attacked you earlier." He twisted his neck, showing her the scar that had taken the place of his left eye. "I lost this in a duel with a Scyther. Or… now that I think about it, it might've been a Kabutops. Or perhaps it was a Zangoose?" He laughed again. "Ya see what I mean?"

Eileen shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"Sometimes I forget where I am, or _when_ I am. It's truly a miracle I've lived as long as I have, but being this old comes with a price." He sniffed. "Lass… you're just a young 'un, though. What could have caused you to lose your memory?"

Dion interjected, "I found her near some rocks. I was thinking she must've hit her head."

Headmaster Arcanine shushed him. "Quiet, lad. Let the girl speak for herself."

Eileen's anxiety spiked as both of the Pokémon turned toward her. Their stares, fixed yet uncertain, pressured her into raising her voice. Eileen should have been hesitant, but the words spilled out naturally: "I didn't _just_ lose my memory—I lost _everything_." She added, "Also, I'm a human."


	3. Fool's Gold

The room fell dead silent. Dion and Headmaster Arcanine exchanged bewildered looks, relieving Eileen of their burdensome stares. Eileen found their reactions _even_ _more_ demoralizing, however, and they made her wish she hadn't spoken up. She felt like she was starting to understand why she hardly ever said anything.

Dion's feigned surprise was what hurt Eileen the most. She had already confided her secret in him, so why was he pretending he didn't know? He was playing off of the headmaster's emotions, even going as far as to mirror his exact expression. Eileen figured Dion was trying to curry favor with him. _Talk about a teacher's pet_.

At last, Headmaster Arcanine spoke. "A human, you say?" Eileen thought she saw a glimpse of trust in his eye, but it might have just been a cataract. Regardless, something about his response took the edge off her anxiousness. Maybe—just maybe—he believed she was telling the truth. Eileen would have crossed her fingers if she'd had any.

Headmaster Arcanine studied her for a long moment, fully lucid. "Believe it or not," he said, "you're not the first Pokémon to come to me with this predicament." He was composed and articulate, and his speech was no longer slurred. For once, he resembled a wise and worldly teacher. This must have been the headmaster Dion admired so much.

" _What?_ " Dion hollered. This time, his surprise was genuine.

"I promised her I'd keep it between the two of us, but this situation demands a breach in confidentiality. Have you met Cleo?"

"Of course. This is _Cleo_ we're talking about. She makes her presence known to _everyone_." Dion was filled with so much anticipation that he had to go out of his way to sound bitter.

The headmaster dipped his head. "Cleo claims to have been a human as well. But that's not the only thing the two of you have in common." It was hard for Eileen to pay attention with the way the corner of his mouth was trembling. Her heart sank when she realized he was _holding back laughter_. It had definitely been a cataract.

The headmaster's facade crumbled and he burst into a guffaw. "You're both crazy! Humans don't exist in this world—not anymore! Why would not one, but _two_ Pokémon believe they were humans? Is this the start of some sort of mass hysteria?"

Eileen's lip began to quiver as well, but for a different reason. She was on the verge of tears. Dion gave her a look of pity, but since Eileen had yet to forgive him, it didn't mean anything to her.

Headmaster Arcanine also acknowledged her distress. "Don't look so glum, lass," he said, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get your memories back eventually. Then, you'll look back on all of this and laugh as hard as I did!"

Eileen shrank away from him, accidentally slapping Dion across the face with one of her wings. Unfazed, Dion asked, "How long's it gonna take for her to remember everything?"

"I'm not a doctor, but I'd imagine it depends on the manner in which she lost her memories. If she's suffering from a concussion, she should be all better in a few days." A distant look crossed Headmaster Arcanine's face. "Cleo…" he said quietly, "… Cleo has been under the delusion for several months now. That being said, it… it could be a while."

Eileen sniffled.

"What should we do in the meantime? Human or not, Eileen doesn't remember where she came from and she has no place to go!"

Eileen knew what Dion was hinting at, but it appeared the headmaster did not. "That is unfortunate indeed," he said, gazing at the ceiling. Was he feigning ignorance? If so, he was a much better actor than Dion.

"H-Headmaster," Dion stammered, discouraged, "would it be all right if she stayed at the academy until she gets better? Or…" He flashed Eileen a faint smile. "… C-could she form a hunting team with me?"

Eileen felt the headmaster's stare press down on her again. He studied her even more intensely, as though he was trying to pry into her soul. After what felt like an eternity, he said, "I suppose, as long as she agrees to it."

Dion got close to her. "You said you _wooould_ ," he crooned into her ear. His sugary breath seeped into her nostrils and she sneezed.

Eileen couldn't imagine enrolling in the academy after being humiliated by the headmaster. Also, in spite of what Dion had said, he didn't appear to have any interest in getting to the bottom of her problem. As far as Headmaster Arcanine was concerned, there _wasn't_ a problem.

Still, Eileen had made a promise. She felt like she'd been coerced into accepting; nevertheless, she knew she wouldn't be able to tell Dion she'd changed her mind. His childlike glee was so endearing that seeing him upset made Eileen feel the same way. She had already forgiven him for his fake surprise—it was hard for her to stay made at someone full of so much cheer.

"Okay."

Dion's reaction did warm her heart a little. "Yippee!" He performed an aerial back flip and nearly knocked over a stack of crates.

Headmaster Arcanine winced. "Careful, lad. There are priceless artifacts in those boxes."

"Wow," Dion looked the crates over in admiration. "To think I'm moments away from learning how to find my own priceless artifacts! Oh, Headmaster, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

"That's right, lad!" The headmaster was brimming with pride. "I will register your team posthaste—but first, you must provide your team name."

"Our team name?" Dion tipped his head. "Gee, I hadn't thought about that. It's gotta be something cool, like Team Masquerade!"

"It should be something that represents all members of the team, and it has to be memorable. When you walk into Origin Central, what do you want to hear the Pokémon shout? _Here comes Team..._ "

Dion tapped his chin. "Hmm… any ideas, Eileen? I'm no good with this kind of stuff." Out of the side of his mouth, he mumbled, "Like Cleo said, I don't know how to think outside the box."

Eileen was already sifting through some possibilities. _Here comes Team Hopeless Buffoons! No… that's not catchy enough. How about just "Team Buffoons"?_ After brainstorming several more self-deprecating names, she decided to take the task seriously. What did she and Dion have in common? They were both green. _Team Lean Green Hunting Machines! … No, what am I thinking? That's so stupid. Then again, everything about this situation is stupid, and that's why I think we should call ourselves "Team Stupidity"._

When Eileen didn't answer, Dion made a request. "Would it be okay if we had some time to think about it? I promise we'll come up with something real good! … Just not now. Maybe our first lesson will inspire us."

"Well, all right. A team's name is crucial to its identity, after all. I wouldn't want ya to come up with something rash and blow it." Headmaster Arcanine got up and squeezed past the students. "Wait right here while I gather your supplies. Oh, and please don't touch anything." He trotted out the door with a spring in his step.

Dion leaned toward Eileen. " _Psst_ ," he whispered, "Headmaster Arcanine hasn't said a thing about how I broke the school rules. Do you think he forgot?" He drifted over to one of the stacks of crates. "What kind of treasures do you think are in here? It's so tempting… but I really shouldn't press my luck. If I get caught, the headmaster might remember my past offense! I don't want him to think I'm a troublemaker."

Dion scrambled away from the crates as Headmaster Arcanine returned. Dangling from his jaws was a brown bag that dwarfed the one slung over Dion's shoulder. The Carnivine took one look at it and dismissively tossed his old bag into a pile of clutter.

Headmaster Arcanine shook his head in mild disapproval and set the new bag on the floor, only for it to be snatched up by Dion. The headmaster said, "Inside, you'll find a map, some first aid supplies, and a thousand Poké to get you started. Attached to the bag is your official hunter's badge." His expression hardened. "Remember that I have the right to revoke that badge if you fail to adhere to the rules of this institution. Am I clear?"

Dion's forehead became damp with sweat. "Y-yes, Headmaster Arcanine."

"Dion," the headmaster growled, "technically, you already broke a rule earlier this morning. If you think I'm going to turn a blind eye to that..."

Dion was beginning to tear up.

Headmaster Arcanine gave his head a dramatic toss. "… Then you'd be correct! It happens a lot when you've only got one eye, yahaha."

A tear rolled down Dion's face and he sniffled. When the headmaster's joke finally clicked, he burst into a fit of exaggerated laughter.

"I know yer a good kid, Dion. Besides, punishing every impromptu act of curiosity would go against what this academy stands for. However," he said, his tone growing severe once more, "next time, I won't let you off so easily. But as long as ya strive to do good, there _shouldn't_ be a next time!"

Dion saluted him. "That's right—I won't get in trouble ever again! You can count on me."

Eileen nodded in support, recalling his restraint.

"Excellent. Without further ado, I will lay out the conditions of your first assignment. Dion, may I see your map?"

"Sure thing, Headmaster." Dion withdrew a roll of parchment from the bag and passed it to him. Eileen examined the map as Headmaster Arcanine spread it out on the floor. It looked like it had been drawn with dull oil pastels. There were some symbols representing landmarks, but Eileen was unable to find a key or the names of any places.

"This is a map of the Stone Continent. At the center, you will find Origin Central—hence its name. The academy is due north of the town." He set a claw on a gold lump toward the center of the map. His huge paw covered most of the parchment, and Eileen had to strain her eyes to see what he was pointing at. "I want you to travel to Pyrite Pit and fetch me a nugget of gold." He traced a short line across the map. "Pyrite Pit is just a brisk walk from the academy. Head northeast until you find a small quarry—that's where you'll find the entrance to the dungeon."

Eileen mulled over the instructions, hoping the headmaster wasn't expecting them to find _real_ gold in a place called "Pyrite Pit". She reasoned that the lesson was probably intended to catch naive Pokémon off guard.

Evidently, Dion was one of those Pokémon. "Really, Headmaster? You're having us hunt for _gold_ on our very first assignment?"

"Yes!" he replied. "Now, get going, you two! I've provided you with all the supplies you'll need for this assignment, so you won't have to make any stops in Origin Central."

"All right!" One of Dion's arms shot up. "Come on, Eileen! We're going to bring back the biggest gold nugget Headmaster Arcanine has ever seen!"

The headmaster guffawed. "Happy hunting!"

Dion had made it clear that Arcanine's Academy wasn't the most conventional school—still, Eileen hadn't been expecting to go on a field trip already. Though her level of alertness fluctuated depending on what was going on around her, Eileen knew her body needed rest.

Dion seemed to have picked up on this as well. When he reached the end of the drawbridge, he waited for her to catch up. "Golly, you must be exhausted. There are no breaks at Arcanine's Academy… I probably should have warned you about that." He reached into the bag. "Well, hold on. The headmaster might've packed us something that'll wake you up in no time."

Eileen watched as Dion withdrew a bell-shaped piece of fruit. He held it over his head in triumph. "Ta-da! A Chesto Berry!" he chimed. "Eileen, catch!" He slugged it at her, only for it to smack into her chest and fall to the ground. Fortunately, the Berry had a thick, protective rind.

Eileen couldn't help but feel like an animal as she bent down and ate the Berry off of the ground. She crushed it against the roof of her mouth and gagged as the juices dripped onto her tongue. It had the unmistakable taste of a chestnut, but the texture was all wrong. As she attempted to discreetly push the fruit to the back of her mouth, saliva dribbled from her cheek-less jaws. This made Eileen feel like _even more_ of an animal.

Dion giggled at the spectacle unfolding before him. "Just give it a minute or two to kick in."

As Eileen attempted to wipe her mouth with her upper arm, she felt her heartbeat pick up. Her pupils dilated as a burst of energy coursed through her veins. Eileen felt as though she had downed a double shot of espresso, and just like that, she was ready to take on what lay ahead of her. _Wow! If it works this well, I think I can_ _tolerate the weirdness._

"See? Aren't Chesto Berries amazing?" Dion was clapping his hands with glee. "My parents own a Berry plantation, so I know a whole lot about Berries and what they do. We always kept a lot of Chesto Berries on hand, 'cause… well, let's just say I could be a little careless with my Sleep Powder."

Even with her newly found energy, Eileen lagged behind Dion and his graceful aerial maneuvers. Once they had gotten past the academy, Dion suggested, "Why don't you try flying again? This time, you can get a running start."

"Okay," said Eileen. In front of her lay a long stretch of grass dotted with very few trees—perfect for a runway. She hunched her back, bracing herself for the bizarre sensation of stirring her insect wings. Why couldn't she fly like a bird instead?

 _Three… two… one… go!_ Eileen broke into a light jog. As she pumped her arms, she eyed her scythes nervously. _If I trip,_ _it's… not going to be pretty_ _. Considering how clumsy I've been lately, I shouldn't take any chances._ She threw her arms behind her and ran headlong. It came naturally to Eileen—her sleek, aerodynamic body was better suited for speed than it was for casual strolls.

Air buffeted off of Eileen's wings, nearly lifting her feet off of the ground. Instead of letting the wind carry her, Eileen kept running. She ran until her mouth dried out and her breathing became strained.

"Eileen!" Dion called from afar. He was soaring toward her, his flimsy arms flapping like streamers in a hurricane. For once, he was the one struggling to keep up.

Eileen's wings sagged as she slowed to a halt. She waited for her teammate, panting.

"Well," Dion said between labored breaths, "you nailed the running start… but next time, you might want to work on following through."

Eileen had been so taken by her agility that she'd forgotten why she was running in the first place. She shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah… n-next time."

"Hey, hey. There's no need to be upset. It was a step in the right direction—many steps, I'd say! I reckon we must be pretty close to Pyrite Pit by now." Dion cupped his hand over his eyes, scouting the area. "There! Over there!" he shouted, pointing at a trench filled with mud-caked boulders. "That's the quarry the headmaster was telling us about!"

The sun hung directly overhead, baking the bed of rocks. Eileen winced with every step, forced to bear the burden of squandering her opportunity to learn how to fly.

As they neared the mouth of the cave, Dion poked her back. "Hey, Eileen?" He was rubbing his hands together uneasily. "Are you… afraid?"

The inside of the cave was pitch black, offering no hints as to what dangers could be lurking inside. With practically no experience to her name, Eileen realized that she had good reason to be afraid. Then again, she had survived being attacked by Headmaster Arcanine. With how much Dion talked the headmaster up, surely this was no small feat. Whatever was inside of the dungeon couldn't possibly be more formidable than "the greatest treasure hunter who ever lived". Unable to put her conflicting feelings into words, Eileen simply shrugged.

Dion looked discouraged. "I've been dreaming about finding treasure since before I even enrolled at the academy. That's all I ever thought about: treasure, treasure, treasure. When you're just dreaming, it's easy to forget about all the scary stuff that might be standing in your way." Dion hesitated. "It's weird, though. I didn't feel like this when I sneaked off to the Foreboding Bog, and that time I was all by myself. Maybe it's 'cause I knew that place was deserted… or maybe it's because I'm an official hunter now, and I have all sorts of responsibilities." He confessed, "More than anything, I think I'm scared of letting Headmaster Arcanine down somehow. I mean… more than I already have, anyway."

Preoccupied with her own worries, Eileen barely took in any of what he said.

Dion drew a long breath. "Well, whatever. I'm sure we'll be fine. Remember what I said? We're gonna find the biggest gold nugget in the whole wide world!"

His optimism pulled Eileen from her thoughts. It never failed to impress her how quickly he was able to bounce back after feeling down.

Like the inside of the academy, Pyrite Pit was relatively cool. Eileen's footsteps stirred up clouds of dust, thickening the stale air and making it unpleasant to breathe. Light poured in from the entrance, but it grew fainter the farther Eileen and Dion progressed. The two of them soon found themselves submerged in total darkness.

"Geez. It's gonna be pretty tough to find gold if we can't see a darn thing," Dion muttered. "Headmaster Arcanine must've forgotten that not everybody knows Odor Sleuth like he does. Eileen, you wouldn't happen to know that move, would you? How 'bout Flash? That would work even better."

"How would I know?" Eileen asked, frowning.

"I dunno," said Dion. "It's like my Levitate: it just sort of comes to you. You'll see what I mean if we get into a battle. Some of it's trial and error. With practice, you'll figure out more and more techniques, and then you'll be able to optimize your move set with the strategies that work best. I think that's how the headmaster put it." He puffed out his chest. "I haven't gotten a lot of practice yet, but I'd say my move set is pretty solid. You already know I can use Vine Whip, but I also know Bite, and… Sleep Powder! How's that, Cleo? This time, I didn't forget!"

Eileen didn't find his explanation very enlightening, but she decided not to worry about it for the time being.

Dion ran his hands along the wall. "Oh well. I guess we'll just have to feel it out. I've never had my hands on any gold before, though, unless you count Poké. Do you think all gold feels like coins?"

Eileen was familiar with the crystalline texture of pyrite, but since she didn't have hands, her knowledge was useless. Things like that made Eileen realize how much she had taken her dextrous human fingers for granted.

Dion was eager to keep a conversation going, possibly just because he wanted to make use of _one_ of his senses. "Speaking of Cleo…" he began. It had been minutes since he'd mentioned her. "I can't stop thinking about what Headmaster Arcanine said. I had no idea she thought she was a human. That doesn't seem like her at all. Though, I've gotta say… I would've loved to be a Beautifly on the wall when she brought it up with the headmaster."

Eileen froze as if she were hearing about this for the first time. In the moment, she had been too distraught to take in what the headmaster had said. Now that her mind was free, the implications began to sink in. Had Cleo been subjected to the same fate? If that was the case, maybe she had some information about what had become of them. As much as Eileen didn't like the idea of confronting the bratty Yamask, it might have been her only chance at getting the answers she needed.

But she couldn't afford to worry about that now.

A high-pitched howl split the air, reverberating off of the stony cave walls. It persisted for an unnatural length of time, and continued to ring in Eileen's ears even after it had ended. It sent a shiver down her exoskeleton and rekindled all of her fears.

Dion attempted to cling to Eileen, but ended up hugging a pillar of rock instead. "W-what was that?" he stuttered. "A m-monster?"

Eileen didn't know how to respond.

Dion let go of the pillar. "That was really scary, but we can't let it get to us! I was afraid before we even entered the dungeon, but you know what I did? I went in anyway, 'cause we've got an assignment to complete! We can't turn back until we find that gold. Otherwise, we'll never make it as hunters. Are you with me?" He put up his hand, anticipating a high-five.

It was probably a good thing Eileen couldn't see anything. She said, "I… I guess."

"Then let's keep moving!"

Howls continued to ring out as Eileen and Dion ventured deeper into the cave, each one louder than the last. The hunters did their best to ignore them and carry on, though Dion stopped attempting to make small talk. Eventually, they spotted a dim light emanating from the distance. It was just bright enough for Eileen to make out Dion's elated expression.

"That's gotta be the end of the dungeon!" he cried. "It must be where the gold is! C'mon, Eileen! What are we waiting for?" As Dion readied himself, he answered his own question: "It's also gotta be where all those howls are coming from, though." He stiffened up. "Eileen… we have to be prepared to take on whatever lies ahead of us, even if it means using force. Are you ready for this?"

 _Let me see,_ thought Eileen. _I'm not used to being a Scyther. I'm uncoordinated, I don't know how to fly, and I don't even know what moves I can use. Yeah, that's a definite no._ In spite of this, she said, "I don't know."

"Oh. Huh." Dion folded his arms. "Eileen, you've gotta be more sure of yourself. Whenever you hesitate like this, it makes me wanna start doubting myself, too. I guess that's what it's like to be part of a team."

It was true. Similarly, Dion's sporadic pep talks were pretty much the only thing pushing Eileen forward.

As if on cue, he slipped into another one. "That's right—we're a team!" He unfastened the badge from his bag and held it up high. "We might not have a team name yet, but that doesn't mean a thing. This badge makes it official. We need to be in tune with each other, Eileen. That's the key to our success!"

Eileen doubted she was physically capable of reaching Dion's level of enthusiasm. She raised her arm nevertheless, mirroring Dion's pose.

He cheered. "Yeah, that's it! That's the spirit!"

Clearly, Dion was a Pokémon with very low standards.

They entered a small, round chamber. A boulder stood in the center of room, and above it, daylight filtered in through a crack in the ceiling. The walls were composed almost entirely of sparkling pyrite, making them look as though they had been wrapped in shiny gold foil.

Dion's eyes were like Wonder Orbs."Ho-ho-ho-holy smokes!" he cried. "We hit the jackpot!" He flitted around the chamber, marveling at the glittery walls. " _Cha-ching!_ How much do you think all of this is worth?"

Dion was answered by the voice of a young child. "It doesn't matter, 'cause you're not getting any of it!" The small, furry shape of a Rockruff sprang out from behind the boulder. He tossed back his head and belted out a howl—the same kind of howl Eileen and Dion had been hearing earlier.

 _That's it?_ Eileen thought as the Rockruff attempted to make himself look bigger. _How could something so small make such a haunting noise?_

"W-who are you?" Dion stammered. Even though the Rockruff didn't look the least bit threatening, Dion was trembling in fear—a sight Eileen found amusing.

"I'm Beryl, the Prince of Pyrite Pit!" the Rockruff exclaimed as he leaped on top of the boulder. "This is _my_ territory. What makes you think you can come here and take whatever you want?" He curled his lips into a sly smile, as if he already knew how to get under Dion's skin. "A couple of crooks like you must be from _Manectric's Academy._ "

"We are _not!_ " Dion yelled, no longer meek. "We're a hunting team from _Arcanine's Acaedemy_ , and don't you forget it!" He crossed his arms over his chest, striking a confident pose. "This is our first assignment! We need to bring back a nugget of gold, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Pyrite Pit doesn't belong to you, Beryl—a single Pokémon can't own an entire dungeon! We can take what we want."

"You're wrong!" cried Beryl. "If you don't turn back now, I'll take both of you down. I'll do whatever it takes to defend my territory!"

"If it's a fight you want, then a fight you'll get!" Dion began to unfurl his vines. "But if we beat you, we're gonna take that gold and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"I _won't_ let that happen." Beryl stomped his foot, breaking off a chunk of the boulder. It flew through the air and smashed into Dion's head.

Dion grumbled and rubbed his injury. "Huh, you're a Rock-type. I think that means I have the advantage in this fight."

"You might," Beryl said with a sneer, "but your friend doesn't."

Ruminating on what she knew about type match-ups, Eileen realized both of her types were weak against Rock. If she were hit by Beryl's Rock Throw, it'd be more than super effective! The fuzzy little Puppy Pokémon didn't seem so harmless anymore.

"Uh-oh," said Dion, putting himself between Eileen and their opponent. "Don't worry. I have something that'll keep him from landing any hits." He shouted, "Hey, Beryl! I think it's time for you to take a nap." A cloud of dust plumed from Dion's mouth and spread through the air. Eileen tried her best to avoid inhaling, but she wasn't able to hold her breath for long.

Beryl stuck out his tongue, catching granules of powder as though they were snowflakes. He licked his lips as the dust settled.

"H-huh?" Dion was taken aback. "I knew it wouldn't do anything to Eileen since she still has that Chesto Berry in her system, but why didn't it work on you?"

"I'm too old for naps!" Beryl was standing tall. "And I have Vital Spirit."

"Oh." Dion hung his head. "I swear something always goes wrong whenever I use Sleep Powder." He moved to his teammate's side. "Eileen, you're up next. Try to hit him with a move that'll keep him from attacking."

Eileen glared at him. Even in the heat of battle, she remained clueless about moves.

Dion shield his eyes. "Gah! Use Leer on him, not me!"

 _Leer? What?_ Eileen took a step back. _I used a move without even thinking! I guess Dion was right—it did "just sort of happen". I wonder what else I can do._ She lifted her scythe, only for Dion to stop her.

"Wait, Eileen. It's Beryl's turn now. When you're having a battle like this, you need to remember to play fair."

 _That's dumb,_ Eileen thought as she reluctantly lowered her arm. She was a Pokémon that was fast by nature, so she should've been allowed to take advantage of her speed.

Beryl snickered. "A little friendly fire, eh? Well, Rock is super effective against Fire, too!" He broke off another piece of the boulder and hurled it in Eileen's direction.

Her instincts kicked in. She dodged to the right and brought up her arms, assuming a defensive stance. The rock sailed past her and collided with the cave wall, shattering a vein of pyrite. Eileen couldn't help but smile. She'd been able to take advantage of her speed after all!

"Ugh," Beryl mumbled. "Rock Throw isn't the most accurate move..."

"That was good, Eileen! Now it's my turn again. Vine Whip might not be the best move for every situation, but it is for this one!" The tendrils shot out of his neck and slapped Beryl in the chest, causing him to fall off of the boulder. He landed on his back, knocked out.

"Whoa," Dion said in awe, "a one-hit KO? Guess I underestimated myself."

Eileen wasn't listening. Dizzy with anticipation, she sprinted forward the moment Beryl hit the ground. It was _her_ turn now. She raised her scythe like the blade of a guillotine, ready to bring it down on the fainted Pokémon's exposed belly.

Dion waved his arms frantically. "Eileen, no! He's already been defeated! You're going too far!"

He was joined by another voice—a wrathful, snarling voice. "Stop where you are!" Dozens of jagged stones rose from the ground and surrounded Eileen. "Don't you _dare_ move, or you'll be destroyed."


	4. A Kindred Spirit

Two Pokémon jumped down from the crack in the ceiling: a lanky, bipedal figure with dark red fur, and a quadruped with a shaggy beige coat. The quadruped said, "You've completed this part of your assignment, and we will not permit you to harm our son any further."

"I won't cancel my Stealth Rock unless we're understood," the other Pokémon added.

Eileen was standing as still as a statue. Only her eyes moved, rolling in their sockets as her gaze flicked between Beryl, the newcomers, the floating rocks, and her arm. Her adrenaline dropped, allowing her to take in the reality of the scene. What was she doing? If those Pokémon hadn't intervened, she would have _killed_ the poor Rockruff. _How did this happen? I went from not knowing anything about battling to being dangerously confident in my abilities._

Eileen gave a subtle nod, afraid that showing more enthusiasm would cause one of the stones to pierce her neck. When the Lycanroc didn't react to her gesture, she choked, "I understand."

The Midnight Lycanroc grunted and let the rocks fall to the ground. Her companion darted over to Beryl and set down a round, yellow seed. Gently, he pushed it into Beryl's mouth. The Rockruff stirred, managing to roll over and get back on his feet.

"We're really sorry," said Dion. "My friend, uh… she's kind of new to the whole battling thing. Please forgive her." He began to approach the pair of Lycanroc. "Who are you? Did I hear you say something about our assignment?"

"Aye," said the Midnight Lycanroc. "I'm Jasper, and this is my partner, Coltan. This dungeon is part of the academy grounds, and that old headmaster of yours always sends students here for their first lesson. It'd be nice if he'd let us know his plans ahead of time."

"We're wild Pokémon, but we have an agreement with Headmaster Arcanine. As long as we aid in his lessons, he lets us take shelter in Pyrite Pit."

"That reminds me of how my parents run the Vineyard," Dion said. "They hire wild Pokémon to tend to the crops in exchange for the food they can't sell."

Jasper flipped her hair. "Tch. Doesn't surprise me. Apparently, cheap labor is the only thing wild Pokémon are good for."

Coltan sighed. "It is normally Jasper and I who take on students, but this time, Beryl insisted we give him a chance." He put his paw on Beryl's head. "You did good, my son."

A weary smile appeared on Beryl's face, but it went away as soon as his mother spoke. "Don't give him praise. He isn't ready."

Frowning, Coltan wrapped a paw around his son and pulled him close.

"So what you're saying is that we were never in any real danger?" Dion said. "That's a little disappointing, but I guess it's what I should've expected. This is our first lesson, after all." He regarded the chunk of pyrite that had crumbled from the wall. "At least the gold is real! If this dungeon is part of Headmaster Arcanine's property, it's no wonder he's rich!"

Jasper bit her lip.

Dion asked, "Does the headmaster let you have any of the gold? I don't think it'd be very fair if he didn't."

"We're wild Pokémon," Coltan said again. "We have no use for gold. We only value that which directly benefits our survival."

"Like food!" Beryl exclaimed, licking his lips. He shuddered when Jasper shot him a look.

"Origin Central is right around the corner from here. Couldn't you walk over and use the gold to buy the stuff you need?"

Jasper sneered at him. "You don't get it, do you? They don't accept us there. Now, take your gold and leave." She froze. "Wait." Jasper lumbered over to an indent in the wall and returned with a shiny silver disc. "This is a Technical Machine for the move False Swipe. Arcanine provided it to us to use during his lessons, but it turns out that none of us can learn the move." She shoved it toward Dion. "Take it. It might teach that friend of yours how to hold back."

"Er, thanks." Dion accepted the item and stuffed it into his bag. "We can figure out what to do with it later. Now, we need to focus on getting this gold back to the headmaster!" He strained himself trying to lift it, just barely managing to get it off of the ground. "Gah, it's so heavy. How are we going to carry it back to the academy?"

"Arcanine should have supplied you with an Escape Orb," Coltan said.

"Oh!" Dion dropped the pyrite and fished through his bag. He withdrew a dark, spherical object with a ball of blue light trapped inside and rolled it to Eileen. "You may have the honors. I need to make sure the gold comes with us!"

Eileen stared at the Escape Orb blankly.

Jasper snapped, "You need to activate it. Just step on it or something."

Eileen gave the Orb a hesitant kick. It exploded into a cloud of black smoke, which enveloped the students' forms. When the smoke cleared, they were in the foyer of Arcanine's Academy.

"W-what?" Eileen stuttered in disbelief. _It took us right back to the academy! How did it do that?_

Dion whistled as he placed the pyrite on the floor, unfazed. "There's no way we're going to be able to bring this up the stairs. I'll go get Headmaster Arcanine. Eileen, stay here and guard the treasure."

Eileen studied the chunk of pyrite. It sparkled in the torchlight, capturing her reflection and refracting it across its blocky surface. Eileen recoiled at the dozens of Scyther staring back at her, only to back into Cleo.

"Watch where you're going!" Cleo yelled. Catching sight of the pyrite, she remarked, "Pyrite Pit? Man, that really takes me back. Spoiler alert: it's not real gold." Eileen scowled as the Yamask circled her. "Say, where's Dion? Did he make it back, or was _Pyrite Pit_ too much for him?"

Eileen recalled Cleo's secret as she did her best to ignore her bullying. Sheldon and Stella didn't appear to be with her, and of course Dion was away—now would be the perfect time to start a conversation.

"You're so quiet. C'mon, say something. I don't think I've ever heard your voice." She smirked. "Do meat-eaters even know how to talk?"

Eileen snatched up the opportunity. "I don't know," she quipped, "but _humans_ do."

Cleo's mask clattered to the floor. "E-excuse me?"

Now, Eileen was smirking. Part of her wanted to leave her statement up to Cleo's interpretation, but it was important that she followed up. As Eileen opened her mouth to speak, Dion came racing down the stairs.

"That treasure is ours, Cleo! Don't even _think_ about laying a finger on our gold!"

It took Cleo a moment to regain her composure. Even then, she still looked rattled. "I-I dropped my mask. I'm just picking it up." She sank down, grabbed her mask, and set it back on her tail. After adjusting it nervously, she shot out of the foyer.

Dion looked puzzled. "What the heck was that all about?"

Eileen shrugged.

"Weird." Dion hovered over to Headmaster Arcanine, who had just finished plodding down the stairs. "Check it out!" he exclaimed, gesturing at the pyrite. "What do you think, Headmaster? Is this not the biggest nugget of gold you've ever seen?"

After laying down a bag he'd brought with him, the headmaster tapped the pyrite with his paw. "It is quite large, but you must remember that I've been in this business for a very long time. I've seen treasures that'd make this look like a worthless rock. … Which is exactly what it is."

Dion blinked vacantly. "I'm sorry. What?"

Headmaster Arcanine closed his eye and smiled. "Excellent work, my students. Your completion of this assignment indicates that you have a firm understanding of the fundamentals of treasure hunting." His eye snapped open. "At least, that's what I'd say if Chamberlain Claydol had used Trick Room and everything was the opposite of how it should be. Congratulations! Now you know exactly what _not_ to expect as a hunter."

" _Whaaaaa—?_ "

Eileen pursed her lips. She had suspected something was up ever since the headmaster tried to pass pyrite off as gold. What other things were off? Had her first taste of combat also been inauthentic?

"Ohoho, how I love assigning this lesson. The reactions are always priceless!"

Dion's blank expression turned to sadness. "W-was all of this some kind of prank?"

"Not at all, lad. I like to address common misconceptions right off the bat. That way, students can withdraw if the hunting experience doesn't live up to their expectations."

Dion was offended. "I'm not gonna quit! No way!" He begged, "Just tell me what I did wrong so I won't do it again."

"Easy now. I was about to get to that." Headmaster Arcanine effortlessly rolled over the pyrite that had taken Dion all his strength to lift. "This is pyrite. Another name for pyrite is _fool's gold_ , which is because it has no value whatsoever. Even an amateur trader wouldn't pay a single Poké for a nugget this size."

"Fool's gold..." Dion echoed. "It certainly made a fool of me. How are you supposed to tell the difference?"

"It's really quite simple. Outside of color, they're nothing alike." Headmaster Arcanine dumped the contents of his bag on the floor. A round stone with a yellowy hue landed by his feet. Pawing it, he said. "This is the real deal. See how smooth it is? Gold never forms angular crystals like pyrite does. Also, if you thought that pyrite was heavy, you'd have an even more miserable time trying to lift a nugget of gold the same size. They gleam in different ways, too, and gold is much softer than pyrite."

Dion clutched his head. "Urgh. How do you keep track of all that stuff?"

"You learn!" the headmaster bellowed. "Is that not why you're here?"

"I guess… but what about the battle? There was a Pokémon guarding the, er, not-treasure. What did we do wrong there?"

"I'm not Psychic-type, so I can't give you feedback on your performance. Surely those Lycanroc let you in on what was going on. They're tough cookies, but they were instructed to hold back. A true dungeon crawler won't hesitate to show you its full strength."

"Actually, we didn't even battle Jasper and Coltan. We fought their kid, Beryl."

"Did you?" Headmaster Arcanine said in surprise. "I wonder why. I can't imagine that battle went on for very long."

Dion winked. "I got a one-hit KO."

"Hmm. Now that I think about it, battling their son might have been even more effective at communicating what not to expect. I'll have to let them know that," the headmaster murmured to himself. "Anyway, don't count on getting any one-hit KOs in real dungeons. Fighting wild Pokémon is no walk in the park. Their survival hinges on their proficiency in battle, so they dedicate themselves to honing their skills. Also, they consider dungeons to be their homes, and many will defend their territories with their lives."

"What about battle etiquette?" asked Dion. "Taking turns, not attacking opponents when they've been knocked out..."

"I like to think that most Pokémon have a sense of honor—even the ones that live in the wild. That's not something I can guarantee, however."

Eileen thought about her conduct during the battle. The headmaster made it seem like the rules were supposed to be universal, so failing to abide by them was likely the equivalent of breaking a law in human society. She wondered if there were any consequences.

"Eee," Dion squeaked. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Let me think." Headmaster Arcanine's eye rolled toward the ceiling as he lapsed into consideration. "Oh, yes. In the future, your supplies will not be provided to you. You will have to buy them in Origin Central with the money you earn from completing assignments and missions. Before your morning training session tomorrow, I would suggest paying the town a visit and familiarizing yourselves with the shops."

Dion's eyes lit up. "We get paid for completing assignments?"

"I know what yer thinking, lad. I already gave ya a thousand Poké today. I think that's enough for now."

"Okay." Dion made no effort to hide his disappointment.

"There's one more thing you should know," Headmaster Arcanine said with a flick of his tail. "Not all treasures come in the form of jewels and artifacts. The knowledge we gain, the bonds we forge, the memories we create… they're just as valuable. Every day we are presented with opportunities to learn new things and explore new places, and we must treasure every moment. When you live life to the fullest and appreciate all the wonders of the world, nothing is in vain or without a point."

The three of them jumped when a hoarse female voice called out, "Arcanine! The students have been waiting in the mess hall for ten minutes now. It sounds like there's a swarm of Beedrill in there with all their stomachs growling." A hulking creature resembling a mound of purple sludge hauled herself into the foyer. Atop her head was a tiny white chef's hat.

The tattered remains of the headmaster's ears perked up. "Dinner?" He bolted out of the room with Extreme Speed. The force sent several globs of sludge flying from the Muk's mass, and she huffed as she gathered them off of the floor and packed them into her body.

"Sorry, Chef Muk." Dion bowed his head. "I didn't realize it was time for supper. I shouldn't have asked so many questions."

"Frankly, I'm surprised he managed to hold a conversation," Chef Muk said as she smoothed out the lumps in her form. "He of all Pokémon should've known that it's suppertime. The rest of him might be fading, but until now, his internal clock hasn't skipped a beat. Sad to see that starting to go as well." She shook her hands. "Now _we're_ the ones making everyone wait. We can talk later when you're helping me wash the dishes."

"But Chef Muk," Dion exclaimed as he scooted away, "I don't have to do chores anymore. I'm officially a hunter!"

"Oh. Darn." She froze. "I mean… I'm very happy for you, Dion."

Eileen watched Chef Muk lumber into the hallway, overcome with horror. That—a sentient pile of toxic waste—was the academy's cook? The Pokémon's cute little hat left no room for misunderstandings.

"That's Chef Muk," Dion explained, noticing Eileen's concern. "She may seem gruff, but she's actually really nice. She's kind of like a second mom to me… and she acts like she's Headmaster Arcanine's mom sometimes, too. Plus, she's the best cook in Origin Central! I don't know about you, but I'm s _tarving_."

Eileen gingerly followed Dion into the mess hall. She _was_ rather hungry, but not so hungry that she wouldn't turn down a meal if it looked like it wouldn't pass a health inspection. As she entered the room, she was affronted by at least two dozen pairs of prying eyes. The students broke into hushed chatter. Eileen heard several mentions of a Scyther, but she couldn't make out what they were saying about her. She assumed it wasn't flattery.

The room was narrow, and a long table stretched from one wall to the other. The table was covered with a thin red cloth; on top of the cloth were wooden bowls that had been arranged neatly. Headmaster Arcanine sat at the far end of the table, a pitiful stool creaking beneath his weight.

"Aww. I always go for the seat next to the headmaster, but it looks like it's been taken." A Pokémon seated to the left of Headmaster Arcanine blew Razz Berries at Dion. Ignoring it, he told Eileen, "The headmaster always gets served first, so the Pokémon to the left of him is next in line."

"That's what you get for wasting our time!" shouted a voice from the other end of the table. It was Stella, the Karrablast from Team Masquerade. Her Shelmet companion was sitting nearby, but oddly, Cleo was absent. There were three unoccupied stools to the right of them, and they were the _only_ seats still available.

Dion huffed as he floated to the other side of the room, claiming the seat farthest from Team Masquerade. "Funny you should say that when your leader isn't even here."

Sheldon hesitated. "She left to look for Headmaster Arcanine, but she hasn't returned."

"I saw her out in the foyer. It seemed like something was bothering her," Dion said. "Maybe you should try to find her. I mean, that's what I would do if my teammate was missing."

Stella and Sheldon exchanged nervous glances.

 _Did I upset her that badly?_ Eileen mused, wincing. _That's gonna make it hard to approach her later on..._

"I like this. I wasn't thrilled about having to sit next to Team Masquerade, but it won't be so bad if Cleo isn't here. She's by far the meanest of the bunch," Dion whispered to Eileen, who was staring at one of the stools in befuddlement. "Have a seat, Eileen! Make yourself comfortable."

Eileen had realized that she no longer had a posterior on which she could sit. She took a deep breath, planted the back of her abdomen on the stool, spun herself around, and folded her scythes over what should have been her lap. She squirmed, unable to find a comfortable position.

The Pokémon rejoiced as Chef Muk arrived from the kitchen with a huge black cauldron tucked under her arm. Slime oozed from her armpit and dripped into the pot. Eileen felt nauseous.

Headmaster Arcanine wagged his tail as Chef Muk made her way over to him. He tapped his paws on the table, dancing in anticipation.

Chef Muk dipped a ladle into the cauldron, drew up some liquid, and hovered it over the headmaster's bowl. "Dion told me he's a hunter now. Don't you think you should address that before everyone digs in?"

A puddle of drool was forming under the headmaster's chin. He lunged at the cauldron, but Chef Muk ducked out of the way. She scolded, "I'm not serving you until you say something. Come on, Arcanine. Just get it out of the way."

Headmaster Arcanine laid back his ears and let out an obstinate whine. "Students!" he rasped.

The muffled conversations died down and the mess hall fell silent.

In the most dispassionate voice he could muster, he announced, "If you didn't already know, we have a new hunting team with us tonight. Their names are Dion and… something or other, and they make up Team… Team… oh, forget it. Let's eat!"

A few uncertain claps broke out. A student cried, "Go Team Team Forget It Let's Eat!"

"I guess that will do." Chef Muk heaved a sigh as she filled Headmaster Arcanine's bowl. The headmaster plunged his muzzle into it before she had finished serving him, covering his nose with droplets of purple goo. Eileen couldn't help but notice that the "food" bore a striking resemblance to the sludge making up Chef Muk's body.

Dion was too hungry to be bothered by the headmaster's haste and his peers' lack of enthusiasm. He propped his chin up with his arms, his stomach growling noisily. As he waited for Chef Muk to make her way around the table, his leaves began to wilt. His verdant complexion returned as soon as it was his turn to be served.

"Is it safe to eat?" Eileen asked Dion.

"Probably not," Dion replied, nonchalant. "I think everyone in the academy has built up an immunity to it, though."

Eileen reeled back in her seat. As Chef Muk prepared to dump a generous helping of soup—she assumed it was soup—into her bowl, Eileen gave her head a frantic shake.

"Not hungry?" Chef Muk returned the ladle to her cauldron. "Very well."

Eileen had to keep herself from retching as she watched Dion dump his entire bowl into his giant mouth, swish it around, and let it seep through to his stem. He leaned back, satisfied.

"You don't know what you're missing out on," he said to Eileen. "Well, since I'm done eating and you're not having anything, we might as well excuse ourselves and go hit the hay. Our dorm is upstairs; I'll show you the way."

Dion lead his teammate to the first door at the top of the stairs and pushed it open. "Here we are." The room was small, and most of the space was taken up by a wooden bunk bed. There was a wooden nightstand on either side of it, and a large chest sat at the foot of the bed. After setting his bag on the nightstand, Dion shouted, "Dibs!" as he belly-flopped onto the bottom bunk.

Eileen searched for a ladder, but to her dismay, there was nothing of the sort. She glowered at Dion, who was sprawled out with his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed and he had begun to drool, even though he couldn't possibly be asleep already. Eileen's frustration ebbed as she picked up a hint of her teammate's infectious optimism, which seemingly manifested as the familiar sweet scent that had begun to permeate the air. _Maybe he's just trying to get me some more practice with flying._

Eileen fanned out her wings, only for them to smack against the wall. There definitely wasn't enough room for her to get a running start. She leaned forward, setting her scythes on the frame of the top bunk. As her wings began to vibrate, she jumped up and scrabbled wildly at the wood. While she didn't quite make it onto the bed, her wings managed to support her weight and keep her suspended in the air. Eileen let herself rise to the ceiling, and then piloted herself over the bunk. She stilled her wings abruptly and fell gracelessly onto the bed.

"Oof," she grunted, rolling over. There wasn't a mattress, nor were there any sheets or pillows. The entire bunk bed consisted of nothing but bare wood. Eileen decided she'd be better off sleeping on the floor.

"Sweet dreams!" Dion said, confirming that he was awake. "Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day—and the next day, and the day after that! We're gonna need all the sleep we can get."

 _Great_ , Eileen thought as she shifted into a different position. While it certainly didn't help that she was lying on what was essentially a wooden pallet on stilts, even the most luxurious bed in the world wouldn't relieve her of the discomfort presented by her Scyther body. If Eileen lay on her back, she would run the risk of crushing her delicate wings. Her bulbous thighs, which were attached to the sides of her abdomen, prevented her from lying on her side. Lying on her belly was her best bet, but her segmented body and rigid exoskeleton still made it unpleasant. Plus, no matter how Eileen slept, there was a chance she'd roll onto one of her scythes and wake up eviscerated.

Yet, as troubling as all of that was, none of it held a candle to the perturbing questions cycling through her head. Who was she? How did this happen? _Why_ did it happen? Eileen's capacity for sleep was being drawn and quartered, fracturing her already frazzled mind and evoking some kind of madness. When Cleo materialized above her, she nearly passed her off as a hallucination.

"We need to talk," hissed the Yamask. Though her voice was muted, her hostility was unsubtle. "Get up. You're coming with me."

Eileen, half-asleep, backed away from the apparition, pressing herself against the bunk's railing. As Cleo drew closer, Eileen leaned backwards until gravity pulled her over the edge and she came crashing to the floor. Before Eileen even had a chance to process the pain, Cleo grabbed her arm, yanked her upright, and spirited her away. Eileen, in a daze, stumbled after Cleo as she spirited her away. The scene went completely unnoticed by Dion, who probably also would've slept through an earthquake.

Eileen stumbled over her own feet as Cleo whisked her down the hall. When she arrived at her destination—a small balcony overlooking a courtyard—she released Eileen, who immediately collapsed. The Scyther made no effort to get up.

Cleo's form was almost invisible against the night sky. Only her gold mask, which gleamed in the moonlight, hinted at where she was. She circled Eileen, observing her from every angle. "Who _are_ you?"

As if she had eaten another Chesto Berry, Eileen snapped awake when she realized what was happening. In spite of this, she couldn't issue a response. She, of course, didn't know the answer herself.

Cleo was furious. "No. I'm not going to let you get away with saying nothing. I'll _make_ you talk if I have to," she threatened.

"I… I don't know what you mean," Eileen said in a panic.

"Don't play stupid. Everything about you is suspicious. Dion claims you have amnesia, yet you know things you shouldn't." Cleo took a gasping breath. It almost sounded like she was trying not to cry. "How could you possibly know I was human?"

"I-I didn't," Eileen bluffed. " _I'm_ the human. That's what I meant."

"You… what?" Cleo was struggling for words.

"It's the only thing I remember."

Cleo was silent for a long moment, giving Eileen time to get up. The two of them met eyes. Eileen couldn't read Cleo's emotions, but it was clear she wasn't being swayed by Eileen's pleading expression.

Cleo turned away. "I don't believe you."

Eileen didn't understand. Was Cleo more willing to believe that Eileen had somehow gained access to that sensitive information about her? Granted, she had, but Headmaster Arcanine claimed it was confidential. He'd only let it slip because Eileen was in the same situation.

"You have to," Eileen insisted.

"Where's your proof?" Cleo demanded. She then let out a sigh, relieving her tension. "One way or another, you know what I am. I might as well tell you my story." Eileen detected something unusual in her tone—was it _trust?_ Why else would she be opening up to her?

"I woke up in the Middle Ground with nothing—no memories, no sense of who I was—except this." Cleo held up her mask. "This was my face when I was human. It told me all I needed to know."

Eileen regarded the mask. It didn't _look_ human.

Cleo continued, "The Middle Ground is a Mystery Dungeon said to be the intersection between the living world and the Beyond. It's inhabited by Ghost-types—lost souls, like me. Most of them are resigned to their fates. I wasn't. I tried to find my way out, but I couldn't make sense of the place. I don't even know how many stars that dungeon would be ranked at. The headmaster would never let any of us go there, that's for sure.

"Anyway, you wouldn't believe who I ran into: the headmaster himself. It beats me why he was there, and finding out simply wasn't one of my concerns. I was tired, and thirsty, and he could tell I wasn't a threat. He was the first living Pokémon I encountered, so I begged him for help. It was humiliating how desperate I was, but boy was I in luck. He warped me to the academy and cleaned me up, and since I had no place to go, I stayed. Human or not, I'm guessing you found yourself in the same situation."

Eileen nodded.

"But you..." Cleo was stern again. "Your story makes no sense. Why would a human become a Scyther of all Pokémon, and wake up in the Foreboding Bog of all dungeons? Is there something I'm missing?"

Eileen didn't need to be reminded of how ludicrous her predicament was. There was no point in elaborating, so instead, she asked, "Why would I be lying?"

"Because..." Cleo's voice faltered. She didn't know how to respond, yet she didn't want to admit defeat. She relented nonetheless. "Good question," she lamented. "No one believes me, not even my teammates. They all think I'm insane."

Eileen felt pity for the Yamask. No wonder she was a jerk to everyone.

"Pokémon have a hard time accepting things they don't find normal," Cleo said, seemingly oblivious to her own hypocrisy. "But in a place like this, can anything be considered normal? Ever since I was reborn as a Yamask, nothing has felt right at all. I'm trying my best to fit in, but all of it just feels like an act—and I was born to be a director, not an actor. I feel like I should be giving orders, not fighting. My teammates think I'm bossy, but it's my instinct." She asked, "Don't you feel the same way?"

Eileen shrugged. Cleo's words resonated with her to an extent, but in her case, she'd be more comfortable writing about an adventure than going on one. She wasn't sure what giving orders had to do with being human, but as far as she knew, writing wasn't inherent to humans, either.

Cleo dropped her gaze to the floor. "You might be the only Pokémon willing to believe me." She turned to Eileen again. "You do believe me… right?"

"I believe you," Eileen affirmed.

Cleo's eyes lit up. "I still find your story hard to believe, but really, what is there to gain from making something like that up? Why would you _choose_ to never be taken seriously? _That_ makes even less sense than your story."

Eileen gave Cleo a warm smile.

"We may not be on the same team, but I'm willing to forge an alliance. If no one else will believe us, at least we have each other. Who knows? Maybe we can find a way to go back to normal." Cleo thought for a moment. "This alliance is between you and me _only_. I'm not going to treat your teammate any differently. I'm truly sorry you have to put up with such a numb skull… but better you than me!"

Eileen should've stood up for her teammate, but she didn't want to risk having Cleo change her mind about their alliance. She stood still, expressing neither approval nor disapproval.

"Well," Cleo said, yawning, "I need to get to sleep, or else I'll be a nightmare in the morning. We can talk more about this another time." Without so much as a "goodbye", Cleo phased through the wall and was gone.

Eileen, feeling satisfied, took a moment to gaze up at the stars before she headed back into the hall. She wasn't sure where this alliance would take her, but it was good to know she wasn't alone. As she traipsed into her room, the realization that she'd have to get back into bed took her away from her optimism. _Forget it. The floor it is._

After meeting with Cleo, Eileen found that her worries were much more subdued. Lying on her back, Eileen stared at the ceiling until the walls melted into darkness and her consciousness slipped away.


	5. What's in Store

When Dion had stumbled upon Eileen's unconscious body in the Foreboding Bog, he'd opted to wake her in the most alarming way possible—but even though he'd yelled and jabbed her with a stick, Eileen had risen from her slumber like nothing was wrong.

The next morning, Dion woke his teammate in a similar manner.

"Wakey-wakey!" he crooned, coiling himself around the bedpost and swatting at her face. "What are you doing on the floor, silly? Did you fall out of bed?"

Eileen's eyes snapped open and the moment she saw Dion's toothy smile, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Yikes!" Dion shot back into his bunk. "I take it you're not a morning Pokémon."

As Dion cowered in his bed, Eileen's memories came rushing back. Not all of them, of course—only the ones she'd retained from the day before. Everything else was still missing, and though it made little sense, their absence stood out to Eileen above all else.

This day felt very different from the one before. Although Eileen had claimed to accept she wasn't dreaming, this acceptance was purely superficial. Her unthinking mind clung to the notion that she could still wake up and discover that none of what had happened was real. But Eileen had just woken up, and everything was the same—or rather, everything was still different, and frighteningly so. The advent of this new day shot down even the stubborn hopes of her subconscious.

As Eileen stirred, she became aware of her disjointed proprioception and was overcome with a renewed sense of alien horror. As she attempted to push herself onto her knees, she let out another scream at the sight of her scythes. She could visualize her ten human digits and recall how it felt to move each finger independently, and to coordinate their movements so she could grasp things in her hands. The memories were so vivid, and yet all of her digits had fused into a useless, inflexible pair.

Dion peered over the edge of his bunk. "Uh… Eileen? Is everything all right?"

Even her teammate's appearance—the gaping mouth that comprised the majority of his body, his needle-like teeth, the way he looked like a plant yet moved like an animal—struck Eileen as uncanny and provided more fuel for her fear.

Dion came closer. Feeling cornered, Eileen's instincts kicked in. It would be too much work for her to get up and flee, so she had only one option: fight. She kicked and slashed at him, but her movements were too uncoordinated to do any damage. Again, Dion ducked away.

"Please calm down! It's me, remember? Don't tell me you've lost your memory again!"

Eileen stopped moving. She _did_ remember. She remembered waking up in the Foreboding Bog, and being attacked by the headmaster, and traveling to Pyrite Pit, and making a pact with Cleo. Those memories were firmly rooted in her consciousness, and she was able to retrieve them with little consideration.

"S-sorry," she squeaked in embarrassment.

Dion sighed and got out of bed. "I made sure to wake up bright and early so we have time to hit the shops before Headmaster Arcanine assigns our next lesson. Didja sleep well?"

"Yeah." Considering the trouble she'd had falling asleep, Eileen felt surprisingly well-rested. She was sure it had something to do with the relief she'd felt after talking with Cleo.

"That's good." Dion picked up his bag and floated over to the door. "Let's get going!"

…

As they stepped outside the foyer and onto the drawbridge, Dion said, "Hey, Eileen? There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

She froze. "What?"

"Is it true? Did humans really capture Pokémon in a special kind of Wonder Orb? That's what my Pa always said."

Eileen resumed walking. "I don't think so." It was strange—the concept sounded familiar to Eileen, yet she couldn't recall taking part in something like that. In fact, Pokémon were absent from Eileen's memories altogether. She had come into their world knowing what they were, though, and she could even identify them by species. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to what information Eileen had lost and what she retained.

"That's what I figured. Why would humans do something like that? It doesn't make sense." Dion chuckled. "What a weird story. I wonder who came up with it." He came closer to Eileen. "Now I'm curious. If humans don't go around catching Pokémon, what _do_ they do? Are they like us? Do they go to school and hunt for treasure?"

"We have schools, yeah," said Eileen. "They're… a lot different, though."

"Really? What do you learn about in human schools?"

"Uh..." Eileen floundered at first, but managed to come up with a response. "Science, and math, and, um… writing."

Dion was intrigued. " _Righting?_ Like, doing the right thing? That doesn't seem so different from what we do at the academy."

Eileen gave her head a frantic shake. "No, no. _Writing_ ," she repeated, "with a _W._ "

Dion drew his brows together. "What? Double- _me?_ "

Eileen gritted her teeth in frustration. _How can he be so dense? Is he messing with me?_ Then, it dawned on her that she hadn't seen any signs of a written language in this world. The unlabeled, and decidedly unhelpful map provided by the headmaster should have made it obvious. It made sense—the majority of Pokémon, Eileen included, didn't have the dexterity to make use of a pen.

"Never mind." Feeling troubled, Eileen attempted to scratch the letter A into the dirt. Her arm was unsteady, and all she managed to produce were three haphazard lines. She let out a sigh. For her, writing was much easier than talking, since it spared her from the haste of spoken communication. She liked having time to express herself thoroughly and articulately.

"Huh." Dion didn't know what to make of his teammate's silent lamentation. He changed the subject. "Hey, I've got another question. Do humans like Gummis?"

Eileen looked up. "Like, the candy? Sure, I guess." She thought it was a strange thing to ask.

"Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that humans and Pokémon have so much in common," Dion remarked.

 _School and Gummis,_ Eileen thought, _clearly the defining aspects of every culture._

"You can forget about whatever Gummis you've eaten before, 'cause nothing compares to the Gummis at Slurpuff's Shop! In fact, I think we should go there first."

Eileen nodded in approval. The only thing she'd eaten since becoming a Pokémon was a single Chesto Berry, and even then, most of it had dribbled out of her mouth. Eileen didn't think Gummis were anything special, but at this point, anything edible was tempting.

The streets of Origin Central weren't nearly as packed as they had been the day before. It was still early, and some of the merchants had yet to finish setting up shop.

Dion said, "With all the errands I've had to run for Headmaster Arcanine, I know this place like the back of my hand. I'd make a great tour guide." He swept his hand through the air. "The only stores that really matter are the ones near the academy. Don't bother with the ones near the crossroads. They just peddle dumb trinkets and stuff they bought off of the headmaster. If he's willing to part with it, it can't be _real_ treasure."

The four stores Dion had designated as important were arranged in a square. The buildings varied in size and appearance: there was a highly conspicuous blue and red striped tent, a cozy-looking cot adorned with magenta banners, and a plaster structure with potted plants near the door.

The remaining store was a humble wooden cart covered by a pink awning. Surrounding the cart was a number of barrels, all brimming with fresh produce. The shopkeeper was a squat, pink Pokémon, and she waved her stubby arms at the sight of Dion. "Why, if it isn't my number one customer!"

"Slurpuff! Hi!" Dion echoed her cheer as he went up to the cart.

Slurpuff, who was standing on a crate, leaned over the counter. "And who's this you've brought with you?"

"Oh! This is my teammate, Eileen." He gestured at her. "That's right. I'm an official hunter now!"

"That's wonderful news, dear! I reckon this calls for a celebration." She bent down and retrieved a tray from under the counter. The tray was filled with colorful bean-shaped treats the size of small apples. "This is the last of my stock, but I've got another shipment coming this afternoon. Have as much as you'd like, you two!"

Dion was taken aback. "W-what? You mean we can have them for free?"

Slurpuff bounced in place. "Yup!"

"Slurpuff, you're way too nice. You give out free samples all the time, too. How can you afford to be this generous?" Dion's mouth watered as he loomed over the counter.

She chuckled. "Dion, some things are more important than profit. For me, seeing the looks on my customers' faces is worth more than Poké can buy!"

"Wow," Dion said. "The world would be a much better place if there were more Pokémon like you, Slurpuff."

"Aww, shucks." Slurpuff watched as saliva trickled from Dion's mouth and dripped onto the counter. "I can tell you're fixing to eat. Go ahead, dear! There's no need to wait."

Dion shoved a fistful of Gummis into his mouth before he thought of inviting Eileen over. He swallowed. "Dig in, Eileen! You better hurry before I eat them all."

Eileen was overwhelmed by the selection. Her arm hovered over the tray as she chewed over which one to try first. Dion was quickly helping to eliminate some of her choices. _Hmm_ , thought Eileen, _I guess I'll try a White one. Maybe that's the original flavor_. She stabbed the Gummi and brought it to her mouth.

The candy had a dense, firm consistency and tasted of pure sugar. It was so sweet that it almost made Eileen's teeth hurt. She _loved_ it. As soon as she swallowed, she grabbed another Gummi. This one was Yellow and had a sharp, tangy taste that made her mouth tingle. The Brown Gummi was robust and earthy with a chocolate undertone, while the Pink one was sour enough to make her pucker. Eileen decided that the Green Gummi, which tasted like a medley of sweet nectars, was her favorite.

Dion and Eileen continued to inhale Gummis until there was nothing left. Eileen's exoskeleton had become uncomfortably tight, but she didn't regret a thing. _Dion wasn't kidding. These Gummis are something else!_

"Whew." Dion patted his belly. "I may be a Carnivine, but when there are Gummis around, I swear I turn into a Munchlax."

Slurpuff chuckled again. "I find it hard to resist eating them myself."

"Eileen, we should get going before she surprises us with a second batch. Why don't we roll on over to Toxicroak's Orb Emporium? I'm kind of feeling like an Orb myself after eating so much." Dion waved at Slurpuff before turning away. "Bye, Slurpuff! Thanks for all the Gummis!"

"Take care, you two. Make sure to come back soon!"

Eileen had already experienced the effects of an Escape Orb, which had confounded her. She'd been meaning to inquire about Wonder Orbs, but she hadn't had a chance to ask. She seized the opportunity. "What exactly are Orbs?"

"Hmm..." Dion pressed his hand against his chin. "I think they're made by sealing a Pokémon's move inside a special capsule. Like, Escape Orbs are made with Teleport, and Blowback Orbs are made with Whirlwind. Basically, they let Pokémon use moves they might not be able to learn. It's pretty neat stuff!"

Together, Dion and Eileen waddled into the blue and red tent. The inside was lit by an assortment of Wonder Orbs, which were arranged on plywood shelves. Eileen did a double take when one of them—an opaque, dark red Orb—bulged and contracted. It was attached to the neck of a grinning, hunch-backed Pokémon, and it took Eileen longer than it should have to realize that the Orb was actually his swollen throat sac.

Toxicroak's voice was abrasive like sandpaper. "Hello, hello! I do hope you intend on buying something." He was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, which drew Eileen's attention to his middle fingers. Unlike the rest of his digits, they were pointy and bright red. Eileen got the impression that he made use of them regularly.

"We're just looking," Dion said in haste.

"I see." Toxicroak kept grinning through his disappointment. "You'd better _just_ look, then. Some of these Orbs are very sensitive, you see, and it wouldn't be fun for any of us if you activated one by accident." He folded his arms. "Surely you've heard about the prankster who thought it'd be funny to set off a Trawl Orb."

Dion tipped his head. "Huh?"

"I can assure you he wasn't laughing when I countered with a Petrify Orb. In fact, he hasn't laughed since. I've still got him in back." Just when Eileen thought Toxicroak's grin couldn't get any wider, the corners of his mouth receded even further.

Dion sidestepped away from the nearest rack of Orbs. "S-seriously?"

"No, of course not. I'd never do something like that. I was just pulling your vine."

"Oh." Embarrassed, Dion diverted his gaze to an Orb filled with swirling yellow clouds. "It must be hard work to look after a store like this."

"You don't know the half of it," Toxicroak muttered. "Nobody has any respect for Wonder Orbs. Half of them have the potential to seriously maim a Pokémon, yet my clients act like they're nothing more than toys. And whenever something goes wrong, everyone thinks _I'm_ the one to blame. I'm just here to make a quick buck. Once an Orb has been purchased, it's no longer my responsibility."

Dion asked, "Why do you sell such dangerous Orbs?"

Toxicroak hesitated. "Orbs are fast, effective, and dependable. In certain situations, using an Orb may be a Pokémon's only hope for survival." He uncrossed his arms. "Even then, some Orbs are so destructive that I'm no longer permitted to sell them."

"Hey, Toxicroak," Dion interrupted, "is there such thing as an Orb that could turn a Pokémon into a human?"

Eileen shot him an incredulous look.

"Would a human be considered a consumable good?" For a split second, his grin wavered. "Ah, forgive me. Itemizer Orbs are one of the types that made the ban list. Good riddance, I say. Those things had the potential to hurt my sales. If you used an Itemizer Orb to turn a Pokémon into more Orbs, there'd be no point in buying Orbs from me."

"Huh," said Dion, sounding mildly uncomfortable. "Never mind, then."

Toxicroak reached for an Orb containing a brilliant ball of light. "You Grass-types are really into sunlight, right? How about a nice Sunny Orb? It's yours for 150 Poké."

"No thanks. I just ate." Dion peered into his bag. "Actually, I think it'd be a good idea for us to buy another Escape Orb, since we already used the one Headmaster Arcanine gave us. You never know when one of those might come in handy."

Somehow, Toxicroak's grin managed to extend even further. He sifted through his wares and retrieved a familiar black Orb. "That will be 150 Poké as well."

Dion withdrew three coins and dropped them into Toxicroak's hand one at a time. Toxicroak hastily passed him the Escape Orb, nearly grazing him with the claw protruding from his knuckle. Dion jerked backwards.

"Be careful," Toxicroak hissed. "You wouldn't want to accidentally activate it and have to buy another one, would you? If you would like to do that, you're more than welcome." His eyes darted over to Eileen. "I'd also advise against letting your friend handle it. What's the matter with her, anyway? Did she set off a Silence Orb when I wasn't looking?" He clasped his hand around his fist. "I hope so, because I'd have to charge you for that as well."

"N-no, I—"

Dion cut her off. "We didn't touch anything! Eileen's a quiet Pokémon—that's just the way she is."

Toxicroak didn't say a word. He just reached down and pulled on one of Dion's vine-like legs.

"O-oh." Embarrassed, Dion stuffed the Escape Orb into his bag. "We still have a couple more shops to check out, Eileen." Before he left, he said, "Thanks, Toxicroak."

"It was a pleasure doing business with you." He paused. Growing stern, he added, "Be careful out there. If I were you, I'd stay away from the outskirts of town. I heard there's something fishy going on around there. You wouldn't want to end up missing."

"Uh… we'll keep that in mind." Once they were outside, Dion whispered, "There's something I don't like about that guy, but at least he's looking out for us. I wonder what he's talking about." He faced the building made of plaster. "The Pokémon in charge of that place… let's just say he's an, uh, interesting character."

Eileen inspected the storefront, but she was unable to tell what kind of business it was. "What is it?"

Dion sighed. "Machoke's Macho Dojo and Fitness Brodega."

"Can… can you repeat that?"

"I'd rather not." Dion shuddered. "Machoke's a meathead, but I guess he's pretty good at whipping Pokémon into shape. He also sells all kinds of drinks and powders. He says they're healthy, but nobody knows what they're made out of." Dion continued, "He shares the business with Gallade the move tutor. Gallade isn't nearly as, uh… exuberant as Machoke. I don't know how he puts up with him, to be honest."

Dion was already beginning to drift toward the final shop. "There's nothing much to see there. If you want, we can just head on over to Aro—"

"Nah." Eileen was standing at the door. She was intrigued by the prospect of receiving a more in-depth explanation of moves from Gallade, and she was also curious about why Dion was so flustered.

All of a sudden, a groan sounded from inside the building and the door exploded. Eileen put up her scythes, shielding herself from the wooden shrapnel. When the dust settled, a strapping Pokémon stepped into the light. He was wearing a pair of dark specs, and, upon seeing Dion and Eileen, he struck an extravagant pose. "S'up?" he greeted, bouncing his pecs.

Eileen regretted her decision instantly.

"Yup. That's Machoke," Dion said, poker-faced. He clasped his hands together and a single tear rolled down his face. "He's so… strong."

"You got that right, little buddy!" Machoke grabbed onto Dion's arms and spun him around in a circle. "And you can get this ripped, too, for the totally brodacious price of 2000 Poké per session."

Dion was crying and laughing at the same time. "I don't have that much money!"

"That's tough luck, bro." Machoke let go of him, launching him into the side of the building. Then, he grunted and flexed his biceps as he struck another posed. "But not as tough as me."

Eileen didn't know what was happening. She looked for a place to hide, but it was too late. He pulled a jar out of his pocket and showed it to her. On the label was what resembled an orange, upward-pointing fast forward symbol. "How 'bout some protein, lady bro?"

Eileen realized that Machoke's shorts didn't actually have pockets. Unable to speak, she took several steps back.

Machoke seemed to get the message. He unscrewed the lid, chugged the drink, and smashed the jar against the ground. "Lookin' for Gallade? 'Fraid he's away again. He's out there, livin' his brohemian life..." He flexed his pecs sadly. "Welp, if I can't do anything for either of you dudes, I s'pose I'll be seein' you." He did a back flip into the building and was gone.

"See?" Dion's voice made Eileen flinch. He floated over, dusting himself off. "Let's just pretend none of that ever happened."

Eileen took one last look at the shattered door and nodded her head emphatically.

"The last store you ought to know about is Aromatisse's Boutique," Dion said as he led his teammate to the cot-like building. "Now, I know what you're thinking: why would a hunter be interested in fashion? Well… to tell you the truth, I don't actually know the answer. They're _special_ accessories, I guess."

One of the cot's windows opened. "They're more than just special, darling," said a fuzzy Pokémon with a hooked beak. Around his neck was a large bow the color of his eyes. "All of my wares possess mystical powers. Plus, they'll make you look absolutely stunning."

Aromatisse invited them inside. The shelves were stocked with neatly folded scarves and bandannas, all color-coordinated. The entire place smelled strongly of potpourri.

"Ooh!" exclaimed Dion, waving a Gold Ribbon between his fingers. "I like this one."

Aromatisse blinked, fluttering his long eyelashes. "All of my wares possess mystical powers… except that one. It _is_ still stunning, though."

Dion returned the ribbon to the shelf. "Gosh, are there any gold things that aren't completely useless?"

"I can name a thing or two," Aromatisse said, eyeing Dion's bag. "The two of you are new students, yes? Have you decided on your team color?"

"Team color?" Dion repeated. "Our team doesn't even have a name yet!"

Aromatisse shifted his weight. "My, my. That will make outfitting you rather challenging. Are you open to suggestions?"

"I guess, since apparently I'm no good at picking things out myself," said Dion.

"Hmm..." Aromatisse rubbed his chin. "Since both of you are green Pokémon, the most obvious choice would be red."

"But I don't like the color red," Dion whined. "It makes me think of fire."

Aromatisse rolled his eyes. "Well, if you're so enamored with that Gold Ribbon, why don't we go with yellow?"

"That will work."

Aromatisse swept his hand across his forehead. "Oh! What am I thinking? Darling, a yellow scarf would clash with your stem! We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"Maybe _we_ wouldn't, but personally, I don't really care. I wanna know more about these powers."

"… The customer's always right," Aromatisse mumbled to himself, his beak clenched. "Fine, then. I will now evaluate your perfumes."

"You're gonna do _what?_ "

"There's a lot you can glean about a Pokémon from its aroma. Odor Sleuth is my specialty." Aromatisse swept up from behind and took a big whiff of Dion's head. Dion jumped when Aromatisse coughed. "Eugh. You aroma is overwhelmingly sweet. I suppose that's to be expected of a Carnivine, but even then… You've been eating Gummis, haven't you?"

"Er, yeah. I just had a whole bunch."

"I figured as much. In that case, may I recommend a Diet Belt? It's very sleek and flattering."

"I don't like the sound of that one bit!"

"My, aren't we picky? Perhaps a Fickle Ribbon would be a better fit." Aromatisse closed his eyes as he took another deep whiff. "Yes… I've picked up a hint of your true essence. Your Nature is Jolly, isn't it?"

"My… Nature? I don't know what that means, but it sounds personal. I feel kind of violated."

Aromatisse coughed again. "While no two Pokémon are the same, each Pokémon's personality can be broken down into one of twenty-five basic categories. This is what is known as a _Nature_ , and it plays a significant role in determining a Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses. As a Jolly Pokémon, you are fleet-footed and have boundless energy. However, the effectiveness of your special moves is rather lacking."

"That sounds like a good Nature to have. I don't think I even have any special moves."

"You may not have any now, but that doesn't mean you won't learn some in the future. If you would like to be prepared, I'd recommend a Special Band. However, if you would like to continue focusing on physical moves, a Power Band might be right for you." Aromatisse walked over to a shelf of yellow accessories and retrieved a pair of bandannas. One was embroidered with the image of a flexing arm, and the other was embedded with star-shaped buttons.

"Boy, that's a tough decision..." Dion said, scratching his chin. "I think I'm gonna go with the Power Band, since it'll help me right away."

Aromatisse handed him the item and returned the Special Band to the shelf. As Dion tied the Power Band around his neck, Aromatisse stepped up to Eileen. The Scyther cringed as he took in her scent.

"Ooh! You're Quiet, just as I'd suspected." He seemed strangely delighted by her smell, but Eileen was too uncomfortable to feel flattered. "It just so happens that Quiet is the inverse of Jolly. That means your special moves are slightly more powerful, but your speed suffers as a result." Aromatisse dolefully shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry, darling. From what I know about Scyther, that's easily the least beneficial Nature you could have."

Eileen frowned. Her quietness was inconvenient in many situations, but she wouldn't have guessed it also had a negative effect on her performance as a Pokémon. While she didn't fully understand the concept, having a Quiet nature suggested this trait was inherent. She was becoming a bit more comfortable with talking, but she'd probably never be a social Beautifly.

"While I don't have any accessories that will make you move faster, a Detect Band will boost your reaction time and help you avoid attacks." He pulled a bandanna featuring an image of a generic silhouette dodging some sort of projectile off of the shelf. "What do you think?"

Eileen found this offer attractive. Most moves looked very painful, and she'd like to avoid getting hurt whenever possible. To her, that seemed a lot more useful than something that would make her stronger. She said, "I guess I'll take it."

"Excellent." The astute Aromatisse gave the bandanna to Dion, who helped Eileen put it on. She was eager to see how cool she looked, but there were no mirrors in sight.

Aromatisse stroked his beak. "Together, that comes to 1000 Poké."

" _Whaaaat?_ " Dion cried. "That much? But we only have…" Dion counted on his fingers. "… 850 Poké left."

"I can assure you my wares are very reasonably priced. That being said, I am willing to part with the items now if you pay what is owed as soon as possible, plus an additional 200 Poké. If you fail to provide the money in three days, I'll have to get your headmaster involved."

"O-okay!" Dion exclaimed. He dumped the contents of his bag onto the floor and sorted the Poké into a pile. After handing all the coins over to Aromatisse, he hastily picked up the rest of his belongings. "Thank you, Aromatisse!"

"I hope you find my wares useful," Aromatisse said. "Remember not to forget about the debt you owe."

"We won't!" Dion called as they exited the cot. "Well, that's about it. We can head back to the academy now." He clapped his hands together and winced. "Ouch! I guess that means the Power Band's working."

…

A group of Pokémon was assembled in the foyer, all of them facing the stairs. Headmaster Arcanine was standing on the uppermost step.

"Perfect! We made it back just in time for the headmaster's morning address."

Headmaster Arcanine ran through a series of announcements, issuing assignments to the more senior students. The crowd thinned until only Eileen, Dion, and the three members of Team Masquerade remained.

"As for the rest of you," the headmaster said as he made his way down the stairs, "I thought I'd provide a joint training session. Since you all joined fairly recently, you would probably benefit from a crash course on the fundamentals of battling."

Groans sounded from both parties.

The headmaster looked around in dismay. "What? Is something the matter?"

"Does it _have_ to be a joint session?" Dion whined.

"Yeah!" said Cleo. "Isn't the reason we're split into teams so we can get _individualized_ lessons?"

Headmaster Arcanine harrumphed. "This material is pretty much universal, so I figured I'd knock out two Pidgey with one Rock Slide. Besides, it might teach you a thing or two about teamwork."

Cleo muttered, "It'd make more sense if we focused on learning how to work with our own teammates." She then paused, making eye contact with Eileen. The two subtly nodded at each other.

The headmaster either didn't hear Cleo, or was choosing to ignore her. "Come, students. The session will take place in the courtyard. We'll be joined by Chamberlain Claydol as soon as it's done helping students depart."

Headmaster Arcanine and his students headed outside. The courtyard was roughly the same size as the foyer, and most of it was encompassed by a square of dirt. Off to the sides were some assorted crates and barrels. Eileen had been expecting something more elegant—a garden filled with lovely flowers and fountains, perhaps—but this set-up seemed more practical.

After waiting in silence for several minutes, a statue-like Pokémon appeared before them. It didn't have a face—only a series of large, pink eyes around the circumference of their head—but it compensated for this through its expressive movements. "Ah, sorry, sorry! Please forgive me for being late!" it cried telepathically as it bowed in apology.

Headmaster Arcanine let out a gruff laugh. "Calm yourself, Claydol. You always stress yourself out trying to please everyone."

"Everyone appreciates you, Chamberlain!" Dion exclaimed.

This immediately instilled a sense of pride in Chamberlain Claydol. In contrast to its demeanor upon arriving, it boasted, "Well, that's to be expected, seeing as I provide many essential services to this academy. Advisor! Chaperon! Janitor! Substitute teacher! Link expert! Indeed, without me, the academy would be in shambles." It then backed away meekly. "Er-hem. My apologies. Now, how may I serve you?"

"On the docket for today is an introductory lesson. We will be going over the basics of battling, including a rundown on the different types of attacks," Headmaster Arcanine explained.

"Understood. I will use Substitute posthaste." The chamberlain was promptly replaced by a green training dummy. Chamberlain Claydol's voice—Eileen couldn't tell if it was coming from the doll or somewhere else—called,

The headmaster dipped his head. "All right, students. The first thing you should know is that attacks fall into two categories. One of these categories is much more complicated than the other, but I'll get into that later. First, we have standard attacks. These attacks are simple and done with minimal effort: a slap or a swipe, for example. They do not have Power Points; thus, there is no limit to how many times you can use them. However, since they do not draw upon our power, they are quite weak. They are best for dealing with enemies who aren't much of a threat, and they can also be used as a last resort if you've run out of Power Points and you forgot to pack a Max Elixir."

"That's all common knowledge, Headmaster. Even Dion must've known _something_ about attacking if he managed to get out of Pyrite Pit alive," Cleo complained.

"Then think of it as a review," Headmaster Arcanine chided. "I will now demonstrate a standard attack." He bunched his muscles and pounced, landing on top of the doll. Then, he jumped to the side and exhaled a pulse of indigo fire. He charged at the doll with incredible speed, launching it into a wall.

Chamberlain Claydol reappeared in place of the dummy. "H-Headmaster!" it wailed as he rushed toward it. At the very last second, a mirror-like screen shot up in front of it. Headmaster Arcanine leaped through the screen and was gone.

"Phew. That was too close for comfort," Chamberlain Claydol said as it dismissed the screen. "I was not expecting him to demonstrate some _moves_ as well. A Substitute doll can only take so much abuse!"

"Where did he go?" Dion asked worriedly.

"I sent him to the foyer. Hopefully he will return once his head clears."

"That was one of your Teleportals, right?" Dion inquired, "What kind of move is that?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today's lesson concerns _attacks_ ," said the chamberlain, hovering back to the dirt patch. "I _would_ continue with the lesson in Arcanine's absence; however, although I have many skills, attacking… is not one of them. None of my moves can damage other Pokémon. Substitute _does_ take a toll on my health, so it's most unfortunate that I will have to summon another doll."

"How is it even _possible_ for a Pokémon to not have any attacks?" Cleo piped in disbelief.

"I do not condone violence, so I simply do not fight. All of my moves can be used to escape from dangerous situations; as such, I do not even have to resort to standard attacks."

"Sounds pretty cowardly if you ask me," Stella snorted.

"My, you students are so consumed with violence that even your words are offensive! How very rude. Headmaster Arcanine ought to give you a lesson in respect." Chamberlain Claydol scanned the group of students with its many eyes. "Since I cannot provide instruction, I suppose I can discuss my abilities. This topic is quite advanced, so please try your best to follow along." It conjured another luminous screen. "I create Teleportals by using two moves—Light Screen and Teleport—at the same time."

"Two moves at the same time?" Dion repeated. "How does that work?"

"It is done through a technique known as _Linking_. In order to perform Linked moves, one must undergo special training. It has been found that certain combinations of moves can have extraordinary effects. Very little research has been done on the phenomenon, though I have been doing my best to keep up with any new discoveries."

"Whoa," Dion breathed. "I want to know more!"

"I can try to list some examples of move combinations off the top of my head. Let's see..."

Just then, Headmaster Arcanine plodded back through the Teleportal. The students huddled together in fear, but he showed no signs of aggression.

"Oh, dear. I wasn't expecting that to happen," Chamberlain Claydol said, swiftly discarding the Teleportal.

Hanging his head, Headmaster Arcanine said, "I'm finding it harder and harder to control myself once I've engaged an opponent. This holds true even when the enemy isn't real. As such, I will forgo any further demonstrations." Seating himself in the dirt, he asked, "Now, where were we?"

Cleo smirked. "You were just about to wrap things up!"

"Do not tell fibs!" scolded Chamberlain Claydol. "These students lack discipline. I bid you to address this as soon as possible!" it said to Headmaster Arcanine. "If memory serves, you had attempted to demonstrate a standard attack. That was when things went haywire."

Headmaster Arcanine responded with a grunt. "Class, I would now like each of you to perform some standard attacks."

Grumbling something about Oran Berries, the chamberlain reluctantly swapped itself with another training dummy. The students lined up in front of it, Eileen making sure she was in the back. One by one, they each walloped the dummy: Dion curled his leafy hands into fists and punched it, Cleo alternated between slapping it and bashing it with her mask, and Stella and Sheldon both tackled their target.

Soon, it was Eileen's turn. She nodded to herself. _I guess this is like how unarmed humans fight. No weapons, no magic or supernatural powers—just_ _basic_ _combat._ Now that she had seen some examples, the task seemed easy. She confidently stepped up to the dummy, kicked it, and followed up with a swift slash.

"Easy, lass!" Headmaster Arcanine barked.

"Speak for yourself," Cleo muttered.

Eileen backed up in dismay. _What did I do wrong?_

"I'll use this as an opportunity to move onto the next part of our lesson. That's right: we're going to talk about moves. This is where things get interesting," the headmaster said. "What Eileen just demonstrated was Quick Attack. While Quick Attack is a relatively weak move, it still has Power Points that can be depleted."

Eileen thought back to Dion's explanation of moves. How was she supposed to tell the difference between standard attacks and moves if they came out without her thinking? Frankly, she didn't see the point in standard attacks.

"As a Pokémon gains experience and grows stronger, it gains access to a greater variety of attacks. The moves a Pokémon learns are determined by its species; thus, a Pokémon's move set is fairly predictable. Technically, moves are just a construct: they're simply variations of standard attacks, or of each other. As you observed, Eileen's Quick Attack is strikingly similar to her standard attack. However, there are several key differences. Who can name one of these differences?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Dion's hand flew up. "Moves have types like we do!"

Arcanine responded, "Very good, lad. Standard attacks are equally effective against all types, but the trade-off is that they're much weaker than moves. Don't confuse them with Normal-type moves, though. Those have the potential to be much stronger!" He continued, "A Pokémon's moves don't always match its type. This may give it an advantage over a foe it would normally struggle against. I am a Fire-type Pokémon, but I can use Double Kick, a Fighting-type move. This gives me an edge on those pesky Rock-types! One of the most important things to remember is your type match-ups, but that's a lesson for another day. Let's take things one at a time. Can anyone give another example of the difference between standard attacks and moves?"

"Moves have Power Points, while standard attacks do not," Sheldon stated with an air of pride.

"That is correct. Power Points refer to the number of times a move can be used before it is exhausted. Generally speaking, the weaker a move is, the more times it can be used. Flamethrower can be used more times than Fire Blast, but fewer times than Ember. Use your moves wisely. Power Points can be replenished by ingesting a nutritious Max Elixir or getting a good rest, but if you play it smart, you won't even have to worry about that."

The door to the courtyard swung open and Chef Muk hurried in. "Arcanine, this is urgent. There's a pair of Pokémon inside who are in desperate need of help. Do you have any hunting teams available?"

"Just these two," Headmaster Arcanine said, flapping his tail at the students.

"That's all?" Chef Muk blurted. "I'm not sure if they'd be able to handle this kind of job. I think it's something you should see to yourself, Arcanine."

Chamberlain Claydol returned, looking particularly haggard. "Give me the location and I will summon a Teleportal straight away."

"Hmm." Headmaster Arcanine tipped his head in consideration. "I will have to see what the problem is. I wouldn't want to put my new students in danger, but after today's incident, I don't think I would be the best candidate to go on a mission." He walked over to the door. "Students, follow me."

Together, they headed back inside.


End file.
